Galata Bridge
A Low Bridge Linking The Two Old Shores Of The Golden Horn, With Fishermen Along The Upper Deck And A Row Of Fish Restaurants And Cafes Below, And The Galata Tower And New Mosque On Either End. A Short Walk With One Of The Best City Views And A Sunset Favourite For Locals · Beyoglu, Istanbul
Galata Bridge, in Turkish Galata Koprusu, crosses the Golden Horn between Karakoy and Eminonu and joins the two old shores of Istanbul. The current bridge, a low double-deck crossing opened in 1994 (confirm), replaced an older floating bridge and carries cars and the T1 tram on the upper level, with a pavement on each side. Dozens of fishermen line the rails of the upper deck all day with long rods, while the lower deck holds a row of fish restaurants, cafes and tea houses that look across the water. At one end the Galata Tower stands on its hill, and at the other the New Mosque and the Suleymaniye skyline rise above Eminonu, so a slow walk across gives one of the best views in the city. The bridge is free to cross at any hour, is busy with commuters and ferries, and is a favourite place to watch the sunset and the gulls. It is short, about 490 m (confirm), so a walk across and back takes little time.
Galata Bridge, a double-deck bridge across the Golden Horn between Karakoy and Eminonu in central Istanbul, with fishing rods along its rails; coordinates approximate, Beyoglu, Istanbul, Turkiye
Galata Bridge is a public road and tram crossing that stays open day and night, and the pavements and the fishing rails can be used at any hour. The restaurants and cafes on the lower deck commonly open about 9 or 10 am and close between 11 pm and midnight, with the busiest hours at sunset and on weekend evenings (confirm). The centre span may be raised for large boats on rare occasions, which can close the crossing for a short time (confirm). Trams run frequently through the day and into the late evening. Daylight lasts to about 8:30 pm in June and fades before 5 pm in December. Confirm the hours of any single restaurant.