Devil's Bridge over the Arda River near Ardino (Bulgaria)

The legend states that during the Middle Ages, the Arda River over which it was built was very turbulent. Many had tried, but all had failed to tame the waters with their bridges. One particularly ambitious man made a pact with the Devil, who gave him the secret for creating a bridge that would last forever if he accepted to create the face of the Devil in his work, and if he didn’t complete the project in forty days, his soul would be taken to Hell. The man completed the project in 39 days, only to die two days later, taking the secret of his bridge-building mastery to his grave. The bridge still stands exactly as it was built 500 years ago, and when viewed from a certain angle, its reflection in the water creates an ominous visage.

Legend of the Devil Bridge

Dyavolsky Most (Devil's Bridge) over the Arda River near Ardino (Bulgaria)

The Rhodope Mountains were the homeland of mythological singer and poet Orpheus, known well for his voyage into the underworld to save his wife, Eurydice. It was through Devil’s Throat Cave that Orpheus ventured into the inner realm, where he made a deal with Hades and Persephone: he could guide Eurydice back to the world of the living, but he could not look at her until they successfully returned. They almost made it, but as Orpheus stepped through the final portal between our world and the underworld, he excitedly looked back too soon, only to see Eurydice fade into oblivion.

Legend of Rhodope Mountains