Drachenlochbrücke, Arch road bridge in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
The Drachenlochbrücke is a road bridge spanning a valley with ten concrete arches that rise about 40 meters above ground. It carries two lanes of traffic on the Bundesautobahn 8 linking the Stuttgart region to areas heading south.
The structure was built in 1936 based on a design by prominent architect Paul Bonatz to cross the valley. It was destroyed in 1945 during World War II and had to be reconstructed between 1949 and 1950.
The bridge takes its name from a local legend about a dragon said to have lived in a nearby cave. This story remains part of the region's identity and gives the structure meaning beyond its role as a transport link.
The bridge is easily accessible to regular car traffic with two northbound lanes carrying vehicles smoothly. Visitors can best view the structure from side paths or nearby viewpoints along the valley floor.
The remains of the original structure destroyed in 1945 still lie beneath the current bridge in the Gosbach Valley. These hidden ruins serve as a silent reminder of wartime events and form an intriguing archaeological detail below the modern crossing.
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