The Old bridge over the Saar River is one of theoldest buildings of Saarbrücken, built in 1546 by Emperor Charles V. The bridgeconnects old Saarbruecken with St. Johann district. Currently, it is only openfor pedestrians and cyclists. Initially, the bridge consisted of 14 arches, nowthere are only 8. The bridge was destroyed during the Second World War andrestored in the shortened version in the early 1960s to free place for thehighway running through central Saarbrücken parallel to the Saar River.