Čertův Most

Čertův Most (the Devil's Bridge) is a stone gate built in a romantic landscape style, tucked into the former castle park of Nové Zámky near the town of Litovel in Moravia. Despite its bridge-like appearance, it was never meant to carry foot traffic — it leads from nowhere to nowhere in any practical sense. It exists purely as a decorative landscape feature, designed to surprise visitors wandering among the rocks of Třesín hill.

Where did this structure come from?

The gate was built in the first half of the 19th century, when the estate's owners at the time — the House of Liechtenstein, who held the property until 1945 — carried out extensive landscaping works on Třesín hill. Following the fashion of the era for romantic, picturesque gardens, they had artificial "ruins" and rock formations built to give the park a mysterious, fairy-tale atmosphere. Čertův Most is one such feature: a stone arch braced on both sides against natural rock, looking as if it had stood there for centuries, though in reality it was a deliberately designed landscape attraction.

Why "Devil's Bridge"?

According to legend, the bridge was built by the devil himself in a single night to help one of two neighbors win a bet. Another version of the story names the two neighbors as Matěj and Jan: Matěj wagered he could build a stone bridge in the forest within 24 hours. He supposedly started too late and couldn't finish before dawn, leaving only a single arch of the planned structure complete. The tale accounts for both the bridge's uncanny appearance and the fact that it ends in a spot with no practical connection to anything.

Where exactly is it located?

The bridge stands within the grounds of the former Nové Zámky castle park, in the area known as Litovelské Pomoraví — sometimes jokingly nicknamed "Moravian Amazonia" for its dense network of rivers and wetlands. It's a region with strong natural value, so a walk to the bridge pairs easily with exploring the green spaces around Litovel.

What to know before visiting

Čertův Most is a small but distinctive stop on a walking route — more a landscape and historical curiosity than a piece of tourist infrastructure. It's best treated as one stop within a longer walk through the former castle park and the surrounding Litovel area rather than a standalone destination. It appeals especially to visitors interested in the history of 19th-century landscape gardens and regional folklore.

Frequently asked questions

Can you actually walk across Čertův Most? No — the bridge was never intended for foot traffic. It's a decorative park feature, a stone arch braced against rock, leading from nowhere to nowhere.

Who really built the bridge? It was commissioned by the House of Liechtenstein in the first half of the 19th century as part of landscaping works on Třesín hill. Legend attributes its construction to the devil.

Where exactly is Čertův Most located? Within the former Nové Zámky castle park near Litovel, in the Litovelské Pomoraví region.

Is Nové Zámky here a town? In this context, the name refers to the former Liechtenstein castle estate near Litovel, not the larger town of the same name in Slovakia.