Queen Emma Bridge · Willemstad
The Swinging
Old Lady
The floating bridge that connects Punda and Otrobanda — and gave our brewery its name.
An icon on the water
The Queen Emma Bridge is Willemstad's most beloved landmark: a floating pedestrian bridge across the St. Anna Bay, connecting the Punda and Otrobanda districts. Locals gave her the nickname "Swinging Old Lady" — because instead of lifting, she swings open sideways across the water whenever a ship needs to pass.
You can watch her do it from our terrace. But first, the story of how she got here.
Over a century of swinging
The first pontoon bridge
Under Dutch colonial rule, a simple floating pontoon bridge is built across the bay. For the first time, people can walk between Punda and Otrobanda — a crucial link for trade and daily life. But the bridge is stationary, and as Willemstad grows into a major trading port, ships need a way through.
The bridge in her early days.
The Lady learns to swing
The old pontoon bridge is replaced by the Queen Emma Bridge we know today, designed by architects Leonard J. Nicolaas and Arthur E. Wigley. Her party trick: the whole bridge can swing open horizontally. When a ship approaches, the bridge attendants release her from her moorings and rotate her sideways, clearing the way — then swing her right back for pedestrians to cross.
Swung open to let ships through the harbour.
The Queen Juliana Bridge takes the cars
On March 30, 1974, the Queen Juliana Bridge opens high above the bay, named after Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. Road traffic now crosses overhead, leaving the Emma Bridge to do what she does best: carrying people on foot, at water level, with the best view in town.
The Queen Juliana Bridge, towering over the bay.
Still swinging
After several renovations over the decades, the Swinging Old Lady still opens for ships exactly as she did in 1939. She remains the vital pedestrian link between Punda and Otrobanda, a symbol of Curaçao — and a daily spectacle for anyone enjoying a beer on our waterfront terrace.
Why we carry her name
Our brewery sits on the Otrobanda waterfront, right where the Swinging Old Lady meets the shore. She's been bringing people together across the water for over a century — and that's exactly what we try to do with beer.
Order a fresh brew on our terrace, and sooner or later you'll see her swing.
Watch her swing from our terrace
Front-row seats, cold beer included.
Visit the brewery