The Rakotz Bridge (Rakotzbrücke) is a stone arch bridge across the Rakotz Lake in Kromlau’s Azalea and Rhododendron Park in the municipality of Gablenz in eastern Saxony, Germany.
The bridge’s elegant semi-circular arch forms a complete circle with its reflection in the water on still days, making it a popular location for photography. Because of its delicate structure, access to the bridge itself is prohibited.
The bridge was built between 1863 and 1882, and its extremely thin stone arch gave rise to its informal name of Devil’s Bridge, a nod to the legend of Devil’s Bridges told in many European countries. These folktales were created around precarious-looking stone bridges thought so seemingly impossible, that they could only have been constructed by, or with the assistance of, the devil, often in return for the soul of the first to cross.
