Artist Christo’s Floating Piers closes after attracting 1.2 million water walkers

Artist Christo’s orange floating walkway on a northern Italian lake closed Sunday after attracting over 1.2 million visitors, twice as many as expected.

The three-kilometre undulating path made of 200,000 floating cubes has proved a major hit with the public since it opened on Lake Iseo in June.

Covered in bright orange fabric, the pier stands in stark contrast to the dark water as it links the small islands of Monte Isola and San Paolo to the shore.

“People come from everywhere to walk to nowhere. Not to shop, not to meet friends, they just walk, to nowhere,” said the Bulgarian-born American artist, who once famously wrapped Berlin’s parliament, the Reichstag, in fabric.

Visitors from around the world have flocked to try The Floating Piers, many of them going barefoot to get an idea of what it feels like to walk on water.

Local officials said Christo’s creation attracted a daily average of 72,000 people and a total of 1.2 million visitors over the 16 days it was open.