Just A Car Guy: The Count De Smet De Nayer bridge in Ostend, built between 1903 and 1905 named after the Belgian Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Public Works, famously known among locals by its crude yet historical nickname: "Tettenbrug" (Titty Bridge).

Saturday, October 03, 2026

The Count De Smet De Nayer bridge in Ostend, built between 1903 and 1905 named after the Belgian Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Public Works, famously known among locals by its crude yet historical nickname: "Tettenbrug" (Titty Bridge).

When the bridge was officially opened in 1905, its stone pylons were decorated with striking bronze sculptures and bas-reliefs of half-naked women with exposed breasts representing maritime themes and angels

during World War I, occupying German forces stripped the bridge of its valuable bronze decorations. The statues were loaded onto trains and melted down in German smelting ovens to manufacture ammunition and extract copper

The city of Ostend bought original terracotta maquettes and designs of the missing bas-reliefs for €3,000. Backed by local government support, these designs are being used as a blueprint to create and restore the replica sculptures, finally returning the iconic "Tettenbrug" to its original Belle Époque grandeur

erected over the Afleidingsvaart (now filled in), the Oostende-Brugge railway, and the Oostende-Brugge canal, each bridge section symbolically refers to the transport system it spans: symbols of the sea and shipping adorn the bridges built over a water connection; the bridge section over the railway displays a bas-relief sculpture of a steam locomotive.