There are a lot of amazing and mysterious places on planet Earth that seemed to have been created not by a person, but by some supernatural being. One of these is the Devil's Bridge in Bulgaria, which amazes the imagination with its forms and unique architecture.
Located in the Rhodope Mountains, 10 km from the town of Ardino, this bridge is 3-5 meters wide and 56 meters long. It was built in the 16th century on the site of a Roman bridge that used to be here. At that time, he served as a link between the Gorno-Thracian lowland and the Aegean Sea. Not used today. It has been preserved only as an architectural monument.
There are many legends about the Devil's Bridge. Here are the most popular ones:
- On one of the stones, the trail of the Devil himself was imprinted. Residents of nearby settlements believe that visiting this place brings misfortune and death, and try not to go there.
- Another legend says that in the Middle Ages a rich Turkish merchant was inflamed with love for a Bulgarian girl and wanted to take her with him against her will. The girl decided to run away to the mountains. But on the bridge, the Turkish horsemen almost caught up with her. Not wanting to fall into their hands, she stood on the edge of the bridge and prepared to throw herself into the water. But this was not destined for her to do. The Turks, who stepped onto the bridge, saw the face of the Devil in the mirror-like surface of the water and hurried to "make their feet." What happened to the young beauty is unknown.
- It is believed that the master who built the bridge walled up the shadow of his beloved girl who brought him food. According to Bulgarian beliefs, a person whose shadow will be stolen will soon fall ill and leave for another world. While the structure will stand forever.
- It is said that the Devil himself helped build the bridge. Before that, he took a promise from a person to make sure that his image could be seen in the structure of the structure, which could be touched, but not materialized. And also so that at the same time he was both invisible and visible at the same time. The architect agreed and even kept his promise within 40 days, but died soon after. Locals claim that under the central arch of the bridge, half of the image of an otherworldly creature is carved into the rock. The other half is visible in the water, as is the arch that forms a circle. The full image of the Devil is visible only at noon.
Believe the legends or not - it's up to you. One thing is for sure: a visit to the Devil's Bridge is worth all travel lovers. After all, here at least a little bit you can get in touch with the history of more than 500 years ago.
