Travel Picks: Top 10 bridges around the world

Suspension bridges, covered bridges, wind-and-rain bridges, rope bridges, ornamental bridges. There's a practical purpose to every bridge; that river has to be crossed or that gorge spanned. But it's the romance, legend and spectacle of a bridge that led online travel consultants Cheapflights to create its list of the Top 10 most impressive bridges around the world.

1. Tower Bridge, London, United Kingdom

The world saw Tower Bridge this year during Britain's remarkable summer of Diamond Jubilee festivities, the Olympics and Paralympic Games. It was built in 1894, all Victorian Gothic with Cornish granite and Portland stone, close to the Tower of London from which it gets its name. Standing 42 metres (yards) above the legendary River Thames, its walkways are vantage points for many London landmarks. Plus, it's the only bridge on the Thames that can be raised to let boats pass. The bascules are raised approximately 1,000 times per year.

2. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, USA

No list of bridges is complete without this orange-vermillion wonder that spans the strait linking San Francisco Bay with the Pacific Ocean. It has stood above the Golden Gate, often shrouded in fog, for 75 years. At 4,200 feet long, the Golden Gate Bridge was, for almost 30 years, the longest in the world. In a city of superb see-before-you-die attractions, the bridge tops the list. Visitors can walk or bike across it. Alternatively,

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