ashenSounds intimidating and doubtful at first doesn’t it? But we are all about the adventure and curiosity and devil related myths tied with places like this are an opportunity we wouldn’t want to slide. So what is the story behind Devil’s Bridge? How many of them are there? And why the Devil’s Bridge Germany? How can you get there? In todays post we will cover all these topics and take you on adventure through the folktales of Devil’s Bridge and familiarize you with the Devil’s Bridge Germany.
Why is it called the Devil’s Bridge?
The Renaissance period of Europe is extremely popular due to the evolution of many sects of different fields and architecture was prominent among them. As it happens to be the architectures had several stages of evolution. The Devil’s Bridge is a collective term used to identify almost a dozen ancient bridges in Europe. Given their unusual structure and design, the term “Devil’s Bridge” began to circulate among the locals as a reference to these bridges.
For example the Devil’s Bridge Germany or the Rakotzbrücke as spoken in German was built by the knight of the local town in 1860. And it is built out of different stones. The specialty of this structure is that it completes a full circle with the reflection in the water. Features like these and folklore prompted the locals to think and believe that the creations were so miraculous that they were by Satan himself. There are so many of these scattered across Europe and France has 49 of them. Below is a Devil’s Bridge in Borgo a Mozzano, Italy.
There are quite a few folktales circulating around these bridges and some of them are quite popular in the locality. As an example there is a story where about an old person who makes a pact with the devil and in return the devil build the bridge. The pact agrees that the first person who crosses the bridge shall surrender his soul to the devil. However the devils enemies find a way to outwit the devil and escaping with their souls intact.
Now that we got a brief glimpse to the history of this unusual but interesting name for a bridge, lets explore the Devil’s Bridge in Germany!
Rakotzbrücke Devil’s Bridge Germany
But why did we choose the bridge in Germany specifically? Well this one has received sudden burst of social media attraction with some magnificent images and now a destination that most tourists want to explore. It is located Kromlauer Park in east Germany and known as Rakotzbrücke. Both ends of the bridge are illustrated with spiked rocks which further radiates the devil like feature. Not to mention the complete circle formed with the shadow in the water.
The best time to visit Rakotzbrücke is the fall season if you are looking for some stunning photography with the full circle bridge. Actually it is bound to look beautiful at any time of the year even during the winter. However you can anticipate it to be more crowded during the summer as of any attraction spot. Just make sure that the water level is enough for you to snap a memorable photo.
Devil’s Bridge Germany directions
Before visiting you have to know that walking across the bridge is prohibited and the entrances are closed using fences. So respect the restraints and don’t attempt to cross the fences for photos. Getting to the location is quite simple. First you should take the train to Weißwasser if you are coming from Berlin or Dresden and take bus number 257 to Kromlau, Gablenz. Then you get a close to 1km walk to the bridge which might be tiring if you are carrying heavy backpacks. Something to keep in mind is that the bus doesn’t run daily and there aren’t many taxis unlike the city.
The best way to get there are recommended by most travelers is driving. Its an approximate two hour drive from Berlin. And you can rent a car from the airport, and the cost for parking is about 1 euro per hour. Not only is it flexible but it allows you to visit the surrounding attractions. If you are traveling from Frankfurt it takes over 5 and a half hours to get to Rakotzbrücke. For further information on routes check the official website.
Other Attractions in Rakotzbrücke
This is where hiring a car will show its perks. There are a few surrounding attractions that you definitely don’t want to miss out. The Kromlau is located in Saxony which isn’t a very popular tourist destination, still it has got a few exhibits. Kulturinsel Einsiedel is one such place. And it is literally an unorthodox amusement park which has no rides but plenty of adventure. There are animals from all around the world, secret tunnels and passageways, hidden tree houses and an enchanted castle.
Its more like Alice in amusement land. It is an “island”, where myths and stories from the people of Turisede, a forgotten tribe awaits your entrance. You can choose to go either way. You can have a calm and quiet relaxed trance, or let out your inner self craving for adventure and climb, crawl and explore. Folkore & Feasts, Mystery Nights are plenty for you to experience in here!
Also make sure to pay a quick visit to Muskau Park located in the border of Germany and Poland and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the largest and one of the most famous English gardens in Central Europe and most of the land is covered in Germany while the rest sits in Polish reigns. You can enjoy some coffee from the café attached to the castle after wondering amongst these landscapes.
Görlitz is another gorgeous location that you don’t want to miss. This was the filming location of The Grand Budapest Hotel. It has many spots for sunbathing, playgrounds, picnics, recreation and relaxing. Even has a mini farm for children consisting of donkeys, goats, sheep and rabbits, an indoor pool and an area for barbecue.
A Few Other Devil’s Bridges
We mentioned earlier that these bridges are spread out across Europe. Pont du Diable, Hérault is a famous Devil’s Bridge in France. Located on a steep gorge, it connects to abbeys and it is believed to be built by Benedictine monks in the 11th century. This bridge is also listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Ponte del Diavolo is a famous bridge in Italy, which is actually ruins of a Roman bridge. Ponte da Mizarela is the one unique for Netherlands and is a single arch of length 13m. Accordingly there are quite a number of Devil’s Bridges in Spain, Slovenia, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Romania. The specialty of the Devil’s Bridge Germany is the completion of a full circle using its reflection in the water. Plus the fact that it is absolutely breathtaking during the Autumn foliage.
