What you need to know about the Bridge of God

The most amazing buildings are being built as we speak. One architect I admire most is nature. Sometimes nature is the architect of the most astonishing things and in this story, I will tell you what you need to know about the Bridge of God.

Bridge of God

DJ670, Ponoarele, Romania

The Bridge of God

The Bridge of God is the largest natural bridge in Romania, the second largest in Europe and the world’s only for open road traffic. It is 30 meters long, 22 meters tall and 9 meters thick. It was built as the ceiling of the Bridge Cave collapsed. There are a few legends about this bridge.

The place of the Devil

The first legend is a folk legend. It is said that the cave, which formed the bridge, was where the Devil used to live. The locals were praying to God to free them from the Devil. One day, their prayers were answered, and God struck his hand in the ceiling of the cave and it collapsed over the entrance.

But the Devil escaped, coming out on the other side of the cave. God punished him and turned him into stone.

The passage for Saint Nicodim

Another legend says that the bridge would have been built by God for Saint Nicodim to pass through Tismana. Saint Nicodim was born in Novo Brdo in Serbia, in an aristocratic family. His brother, Lazar, became the king of Serbia (1371-1389).

Saint Nicodim left his aristocratic life and became a monk, starting a new life at the monastery Hilandar from Mount Athos. He got caught in a conflict between the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Church of Serbia, as his brother wanted him to be the Patriarch of Serbia. This is why, he ran away crossing the Danube, landed in Romania and lived in Ponoarele.

Ponoarele

Ponoare, Romania

He was accused by the locals of theft and they gave him a hen, a bread and a knife and cast him out. He left and was looking for a waterfall, that appeared to him in a dream and above which he had to build a monastery.

He had to cross the way from Ponoare to Tismana and this is the reason why God built the bridge. In fact, Saint Nicodim was the founder of the monastery in Tismana and the founder of monasticism in Romania.

Tismana

Tismana 217495, Romania

The work of Hercules

This legend is actually unusual. It tells us, that the Bridge of God was built by Hercules. Most of the legends are based on local heroes, Dacian Gods but the roman mythology doesn’t often appear in Romanian legends.

Nature is sometimes the most amazing architect and in this story, you found out what you need to know about the Bridge of God.