Rakotzbrücke, Devil's Bridge in Kromlau Park, Germany
This semicircular arch crosses Rakotz Lake for 35 meters using dark basalt stones quarried from Saxon Switzerland and field stones, forming a deliberate focal point within the Kromlau landscape park.
After purchasing the Kromlau estate in 1842, Friedrich Hermann Rötschke commissioned this ornamental structure between 1863 and 1882 as part of a comprehensive park development featuring exotic plantings and artificial grottoes.
The Devil's Bridge name draws from medieval tradition, when builders attributed technically demanding structures to demonic assistance because human skill alone seemed insufficient for such construction challenges.
Entry to the grounds is free, with parking available near the Azalea and Rhododendron Park entrance at Altes Schloss 11, though visitors cannot walk across the structure to preserve its integrity.
The reflection in calm lake water completes the semicircle into a perfect ring, an optical effect deliberately planned by the builder through precise arch curvature calculations.
Location: Gablenz
Inception: 1750
Made from material: stone
Part of: Azalea and Rhododendron Park Kromlau, Kromlau Castle and azalea and rhododendron park (property group) Old Castle 11 (Halbendorfer Straße 6, Halbendorfer Straße 7, Jämlitzer Weg 49)
GPS coordinates: 51.53623,14.64045
Latest update: December 1, 2025 09:48
Moon bridges form semicircles that reflect as complete circles in the water. These structures originated in East Asia and combine practical function with deliberate design. The constructions appear in public gardens, botanical spaces and historic landscapes from Japan to California. The collection includes examples from different countries and periods. In Tokyo, the Drum Bridge spans a pond in Golden Gate Park, while the bridge at Kameido Tenjin Shrine forms part of a traditional shrine complex. Dahu Park in Taipei and Rikugien Garden in Tokyo show further variations of this building form. In China, examples range from the Jade Belt Arch in Beijing to multi-arched structures like the Twenty-Four Arch Bridge in Yangzhou. The Anshun Lang Bridge in Chengdu and the Stone Moon Bridge in Suzhou document different regional building styles. The form spread beyond Asia into botanical gardens and park settings worldwide. In the United States, moon bridges appear at Kubota Garden in Seattle, the Huntington Library in San Marino, and as the Humpback Bridge in Virginia. The Japanese garden in Toulouse presents a European example, while Hamilton Gardens in New Zealand holds the southernmost variation. Taiko Bashi in Kanagawa and Sorihashi in Sumiyoshi rank among the most traditional Japanese versions. Each location demonstrates its own interpretation of this architectural form.
Azalea and Rhododendron Park Kromlau
309 m
Altes Schloss mit Mittelgiebel und Turm (Einzeldenkmal zu ID-Nr. 09288377) Altes Schloß 11
598 m
Tierpark Weißwasser
2.8 km
Holy Trinity Church
1.6 km
Kromlau-Gablenzer Restseengebiet
423 m
Schloss und Azaleen- und Rhododendronpark Kromlau (Sachgesamtheit) Altes Schloß 11 (Halbendorfer Straße 6, Halbendorfer Straße 7, Jämlitzer Weg 49)
161 m
Dorfstr.13
712 m
Schrotholzscheune Dorfstraße (Gablenz) 36
1.7 km
Museumsbahnhof Weißwasser
2.7 km
Schrotholzwohnhaus, Seitengebäude, Schrotholzscheune und Torhaus eines Vierseithofes Dorfstraße (Gablenz) 22
1.6 km
Kirche
1.6 km
Kavaliershaus (heute Gemeindeverwaltung) im Schweizerstil, mit Malereien und figürlichen Plastiken (Einzeldenkmal zu ID-Nr. 09288377) Halbendorfer Straße 6
564 m
Weißwasser, Teichstraße 94 Scheune
2.7 km
Schrotholzwohnhaus, Scheune und Stallanbau Dorfstraße (Kromlau) 26
969 m
Schrotholzwohnhaus Wossinka 13
2.1 km
Weißwasser, Teichstraße 48
2.7 km
Schrotholzwohnhaus, Seitengebäude und Scheune eines Bauernhofes Krauschwitzer Weg 20
2 km
Stallscheune mit Laubengang eines ehemaligen Vierseithofes Halbendorfer Straße 1a
882 m
Schrotholzwohnhaus und Scheune eines Bauernhofes Wiesengrund 1
1.7 km
Wossinka 17
2.2 km
Schrotholzwohnhaus Schulstraße 4
1.5 km
Schrotholzwohnhaus Dorfstraße (Kromlau) 13
719 m
Wohnstallhaus aus Schrotholz Wossinka 10
2 km
Wohnstallhaus aus Schrotholz Sagoinza 4
1.4 km
Schrotholzwohnhaus, Seitengebäude und Durchfahrtscheune eines Bauernhofes Nordweg 21
2 km
Schrotholzwohnhaus, Seitengebäude, Werkstattgebäude und Durchfahrtsscheune eines Bauernhofes Hüttenweg 7
1.8 km
Wohnhaus, Stall und Scheune eines Bauernhofes, mit Einfriedungsmauer Dorfstraße (Gablenz) 15
1.5 km
Weißwasser, Schulze-Delitzsch-Straße 1
2.7 kmReviews
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