Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ñaño house with mausoleum skull in foreground.
Ñaño Casa Museo
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
The salt cairn.
The Lewis and Clark Salt Works
South entrance.
Reigate Tunnel
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
11 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
11 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
11 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
11 days ago

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 Bulgaria Ardino Devil's Bridge

Devil's Bridge

An architectural marvel that spans the Arda River, and has stories of a haunted past.

Ardino, Bulgaria

Added By
Allison Meier
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Dyavolski most   Kristo Pantera
Dyavolski most   Kristo Pantera
Devil’s Bridge   Evgeni Dinev
Devil’s Bridge   Klearchos Kapoutsis
Devil’s Bridge   Klearchos Kapoutsis
Devil’s Bridge   Klearchos Kapoutsis
Devil’s Bridge   Klearchos Kapoutsis
Devil’s Bridge   Vassia Atanassova - Spiritia
Water fountain in Ardino shaped like the Devil’s Bridge   Infobgv
if turn the picture you can see something like face   Kristo Pantera
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Constructed between 1515 and 1518 in the early 16th century by a builder Dimitar from the nearby village of Nedelino, Dyavolski most, the Devil's Bridge or also known in Turkish as "Sheytan Kyupriya", is the most stunning of the humpbacked bridges that cross the Arda River in Bulgaria. It was built over a demolished Roman bridge and cuts from the steep slopes of the Rhodope Moutains along an ancient road linking the Aegean Sea and the Northern Thracian Valley (Gornotrakiiskata Nizina).

The bridge is located near the town of Ardino, which even has a water fountain shaped like the bridge. It's one of several "devil's bridges" found around Europe. Its span is 185 feet long, 11.5 feet wide, and at its gravity-defying central arch stands 37.7 feet high. Interior semi-circular arches were built in to monitor the water level. 

The reason some locals are hesitant to cross at night is rooted in dark lore. One story is that the head builder's wife passed away during construction, so her shadow was encased in the structure. Another tale has it that the devil's footprint can be found somewhere on the rocks. While this is all folkloric myth, its towering form does make for a somewhat unsettling vista in the darkness. 

The bridge was declared a cultural monument in 1984. It was also the spot for filming several scenes from the 1988 Bulgarian movie "Time of Violence" ("Vreme Razdelno").

Related Tags

Architectural Oddities Bridges Devils Bridge Ghosts Architecture

Community Contributors

Added By

Allison

Edited By

michelle, Vagabond, Katerina, Kristo Pantera

  • michelle
  • Vagabond
  • Katerina
  • Kristo Pantera

Published

June 22, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://earth.travel/768233
  • http://www.journey.bg/bulgaria/bulgaria.php?guide=2178
  • http://btourism.com/en/read.php?id=82
  • http://www.vagabond.bg/high-beam/1742-in-the-devils-footsteps.html
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyavolski_most
Devil's Bridge
Ardino, 6750
Bulgaria
41.62064, 25.114389
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Lisitsite Rope Bridge

Lisitsite, Bulgaria

miles away

Perperikon

Gorna krepost, Bulgaria

miles away

Stone Mushrooms of Beli Plast

Beli plast, Bulgaria

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Europe

Places 63
Stories 4

Nearby Places

Lisitsite Rope Bridge

Lisitsite, Bulgaria

miles away

Perperikon

Gorna krepost, Bulgaria

miles away

Stone Mushrooms of Beli Plast

Beli plast, Bulgaria

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Europe

Places 63
Stories 4

Related Stories and Lists

11 Haunted Bridges That You'll Just Have to Cross When You Get to Them

List

By Jonathan Carey

The Most Inaccessible Places in the World People Desperately Want To Visit

science

By Meg Neal

A Most Unholy Architecture: Six Devil's Bridges

bridges

By Allison Meier

Related Places

  • Cahors, France

    Pont Valentre

    A 14th century bridge built as a fortress, where the devil lurks on one of its towers.

  • Martorell, Spain

    Pont del Diable

    A gravity-defying "devil's bridge" that has a surprising architectural feature for its stability.

  • Andermatt, Switzerland

    Teufelsbrucke

    A breathtaking bridge that crosses a vast gorge over a river's torrents, and has a tale of a devil architect attached.

  • Borgo a Mozzano, Italy

    Ponte della Maddalena

    A stunning bridge that appears as if it's lunging to the shore, and has a legend of a devilish architect.

  • Pontarfynach, Wales

    Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion

    Three bridges straddle a stream, one stacked upon the other.

  • West Virginia’s New River Gorge Bridge is the longest steel bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

    Lansing, West Virginia

    Bridge Walk

    In West Virginia, you can walk across the longest single-arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

    Sponsored by West Virginia Department of Tourism
  • Pause to admire Jože Plečnik’s masterpiece.

    Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Triple Bridge

    Inspired by the Rialto Bridge in Venice, these three clustered bridges were just one part of a Slovenian architect’s grand vision.

  • Græshoppebroen (Grasshopper Bridge)

    Karrebæksminde, Denmark

    Græshoppebroen (Grasshopper Bridge)

    This distinctive bug-like bridge is made of recycled horseshoes.

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.