Kintai Bridge & Peace Memorial Park

Visit what may be Japan’s most famed bridge, a 17th-century feat of engineering constructed without a single nail, and then meander through a park built to symbolize everlasting peace. The bridge of five wooden arches spans the Nishiki River and although once thought to be indestructible, the bridge has been rebuilt numerous times because of flooding. It will be quite the experience to walk cross this national treasure, as the bridge has changed little over the centuries. Following lunch, you will head for the poignant Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, whose attractions are grim reminders of the devastation from the atomic bomb that was dropped here in 1945. The Atomic Bomb Dome, one of few buildings left somewhat intact after the blast, has become a symbol of Hiroshima. The concrete section of the dome melted away in the blast, leaving only the skeletal steel frame. UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage site, as an expression of hope for world peace.