Kromlau Azalea and Rhododendron Park

The Kromlau Azalea and Rhododendron Park is an 80-hectare (200-acre) landscaped park in Gablenz, Germany, built during the nineteenth century,[1] reportedly on the grounds of a former feudal estate by Friedrich Herrmann Rötschke.[2] Following World War II, the park was nationalized by the government, and has no admission fee (though there is a nominal parking fee).[3] The park is an example of an English landscape garden, and it contains many small ponds and lakes. It is known for the Rakotzbrücke, a bridge especially built to create a circle when it is reflected in the water beneath it.

Rakotzbrücke
The Rakotzbrücke

The Rakotzbrücke (also known as Teufelsbrücke, meaning "the Devil's Bridge") is 35 meters long and spans Rakotz lake.[2] The bridge features artificially-formed basalt columns selected and shipped from distant quarries. It was commissioned in 1860 "by the knight of the local town",[4] Friedrich Herrmann Rötschke (1805-1893).[3] The bridge was renovated in 2018 and 2019,[4] though it remains forbidden to cross the bridge, for the safety of the public[3] and the bridge.[4]

References
  1. "Rhododendron Park Kromlau" (in German). oberlausitz-bilder.de. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  2. Eckl, Maria (16 July 2017). "Rakotz bridge – a fairytale place in Germany". Ready, Steady Travel. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  3. "Crossing the Devil's Bridge in Germany". Not a Nomad Blog. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  4. "Rakotzbrücke Devil's Bridge". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 6 August 2021.

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