WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

by Stamen Manolov; photography by Anthony Georgieff

What is arguably Bulgaria's most beautiful bridge also has the most sinister name

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It was supposedly built by the Devil. Or the Devil was seen or heard laughing in the vicinity. Or the Devil agreed that he would leave the builders alone if they managed to construct the bridge so that he, the Wicked One, would be both visible and invisible at the same time. And so on and so forth. The stories about why the Devil's Bridge got its name outshine what even the most devoted tour guide can remember without checking their AI of choice for devil bridge legends. Yet the bridge does exist, precariously spanning over the banks of the Arda, where no road has existed for many years.

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