Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Germany Gablenz Rakotzbrücke Devil's Bridge
AO Edited

Rakotzbrücke Devil's Bridge

This jaw-dropping 19th-century bridge uses its reflection to form what appears to be a perfect circle.

Gablenz, Germany

Added By
Eric Grundhauser
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Rakotzbrücke   Dirk Förster/CC BY 2.0
Rakotzbrücke   svolks/CC BY-SA 3.0
Rakotzbrücke   A.Landgraf/CC BY-SA 4.0
Rakotzbrücke   Henning Herrmann/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Rock outcrop   lenaye / Atlas Obscura User
Rakotzbrücke   Michael Bertulat/CC BY-ND 2.0
Rakotzbrücke   Natalie Uomini/CC BY-SA 4.0
Rakotzbrücke   René Mettke/CC BY-SA 3.0
  madball / Atlas Obscura User
Devil’s bridge in Germany   Corina Preda
Rakotzbrücke May 2021   modenamurr / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Nestled among the verdant foliage in Kromlau, Germany's Kromlauer Park, is a delicately arched devil's bridge known as the Rakotzbrücke, which was specifically built to create a circle when it is reflected in the waters beneath it. 

Commissioned in 1860 by the knight of the local town, the thin arch stretching over the waters of the Rakotzsee is roughly built out of varied local stone. Like many similarly precarious spans across Europe, the Rakotzbrücke is known as a "devil's bridge," due to the colloquialism that such bridges were so dangerous or miraculous that they must have been built by Satan. While the bridge (as with all the others) was created by mortal hands, its builders did seem to hold the aesthetics of the bridge in higher regard than its utility.

Either end of the Rakotzbrücke is decorated with thin rock spires created to look like natural basalt columns, which occur in many places in Germany. In addition, the curvature of the bridge is designed to be one half of a perfect circle, so that when the waters are still and the light is right, it creates the illusion of a complete stone circle.

Today, the bridge can still be viewed in the park, but crossing the aging relic is prohibited in order to preserve it. 

Update as of August 2019: the bridge is under construction and the lake has been drained. 

Update as of May 2021: the construction works are finished as of May 21st, 2021

Related Tags

Ao Loves Halloween Bridges Devils Bridge Optical Oddities Optical Illusions

Know Before You Go

The bridge is best visited during the fall when the foliage adds an element of wonder to the already surreal view. This bridge is located in Kromlauer Park in Eastern Germany and is best accessed by driving. While viewing the bridge is welcome, crossing the bridge is strictly prohibited. As of June 2018, the bridge was reported as being under renovation.

Community Contributors

Added By

EricGrundhauser

Edited By

vturiserra, Mike Portanova, modenamurr, serpent...

  • vturiserra
  • Mike Portanova
  • modenamurr
  • serpent
  • chrissyrodtx
  • obiwan
  • lenaye
  • Meg
  • Corina Preda
  • CuriousJ
  • Max xaM
  • madball

Published

November 11, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://unusualplaces.org/die-rakotzbruck-or-devils-bridge/
  • http://www.placestoseeinyourlifetime.com/rakotzbrucke-a-circular-optical-illusion-in-kromlau-germany-9986/
  • http://www.urbansplatter.com/devils-bridge-rakotzbrucke-germany/
Rakotzbrücke Devil's Bridge
6 Halbendorfer Str.
Gablenz, 02953
Germany
51.536283, 14.640583
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

‘Pineapple! The Queen of Fruits in Muskau Park’

Bad Muskau, Germany

miles away

Spreewitz Radio Tower

Spreetal, Germany

miles away

Remnants of the Neisse Bridge

Forst, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Germany

Germany

Europe

Places 755
Stories 68

Nearby Places

‘Pineapple! The Queen of Fruits in Muskau Park’

Bad Muskau, Germany

miles away

Spreewitz Radio Tower

Spreetal, Germany

miles away

Remnants of the Neisse Bridge

Forst, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Germany

Germany

Europe

Places 755
Stories 68

Related Stories and Lists

The World's Top 100 Wonders in 2018

List

By Atlas Obscura

Related Places

  • May you rest in peace.

    Birmingham, England

    'A Life in the Year of the Chinchillas'

    The ceiling of this shopping arcade is adorned with six trompe-l’œil artworks, including a grim funeral scene.

  • Bats at Campbell Ave Bridge

    Tucson, Arizona

    Campbell Bat Bridge

    A colony of Mexican free-tailed bats live under the bridge and take flight at sundown all summer long.

  • Fye Bridge

    Norwich, England

    Fye Bridge

    One of the oldest bridges in Norwich was used during the English witch trials and is said to be haunted.

  • Pont du Diable, Toulon-sur-Arroux

    Toulon-sur-Arroux, France

    Pont du Diable (Devil's Bridge)

    A bridge that dates back to the 12th century is said to have made the devil very angry.

  • Painted scribe vendor and real-life customer.

    Hanoi, Vietnam

    Trompe-l'œil Murals of Hanoi

    Life-sized painted illusions let pedestrians blend in with the street art.

  • Misalera Bridge.

    Montalegre, Portugal

    Ponte da Misarela (Misalera Bridge)

    Local lore says the devil built this beautiful medieval bridge to help a fleeing bandit.

  • Cima del Sol.

    León, Mexico

    Colina Gravitacional (Gravity Hill)

    Things roll uphill on this Mexican street that seems to defy gravity.

  • Water appears to run uphill on the magnetic hill.

    Moncton, New Brunswick

    Moncton Magnetic Hill

    A mysterious spot where the laws of gravity seem not to apply.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.