Teufelsbrücke | The Devil's Bridge in Switzerland

Teufelsbrücke | The Devil's Bridge in Switzerland

Teufelsbrucke also known as Devil's Bridge - The name of the three bridges across the river Rёys or Ruess in the Alps Switzerland, near the village of Andermatt, 12 km north of the Pass of St. Gotthard . Wooden bridge in Andermatt existed from 1230 to 1707 . The first stone bridge spanned the gorge Rёys in 1595 . It is named for an old local legend regarding its construction by the Devil, one of many old European Devil's Bridges with similar creation myths. In memory of the legend on a rock near the Devil's Bridge red paint were painted devil and goat. These images are still preserved. Devil's Bridge was a narrow stone arch length of about 25 meters, thrown over the gorge at a height of 22 - 23 meters above the roaring rapid stream.

In 1799 during the Swiss campaign Suvorov Russian troops, demonstrating high tactical skill and heroism, with the battle took place at Devil's Bridge. The road along the river from the village Rёys Urzern to Devil's Bridge passes through the narrow (up to 3 meters) tunnel "Urzernskaya hole" a length of about 60 meters, defended by French troops. Russian soldiers managed to bypass tunnel through the mountains and along the gorge of the river and suddenly appeared on the opposite side of the tunnel, defeated the French squad. French troops stationed on the opposite bank, began to destroy the bridge. [First Image credit ruthzolli]

Image credit Riex

This is the reward for the adventurous ascent through the Devil's Wall. Schöllenen Gorge, old and new Devils Bridge and the Matterhorn-Gotthard Railway, Switzerland. Image credit Kecko

Image credit ritsch48

Myth of the creation of the bridge — According to a local myth, building the first bridge was very hard and so the Devil himself agreed to build it. The condition attached to the construction was that the Devil would get the soul of the first to pass over the bridge. So, when the bridge was finished, people chased a goat over the bridge. Angered by the trick, the Devil went to pick up a large stone (called Teufelsstein, the Devil's Stone) in order to smash the bridge to pieces. On his way to the bridge however, he encountered an old believing woman with a cross. 

Scared of the cross, he left the stone and fled. The devil's stone weighs 220 tons and stands near Göschenen. In 1977, the stone was moved 127 meters to make way for the new motorway passing over the St.Gotthard Pass, at a cost of 300,000 Swiss Francs. Popular belief has it that the moving of the stone was the cause of an increased number of accidents on kilometre 16 on the St. Gotthard road tunnel.

The old and the new Devil's Bridge. On the new path under the railway bridge towards the old military-tunnel, Switzerland. Image credit Kecko

Image credit Riex

Image credit peters452002

Image credit fotocommunity.de

Image credit Michael Studt

Gornergrat | The Second Highest Railway in Europe

Gornergrat | The Second Highest Railway in Europe

Gornergrat is a railway station located to the west of the Gornergrat summit, in the Swiss canton of Valais and at a height of 3,089 meters or 10,135 ft above sea level, which makes the Gornergrat  bahn railway the second highest railway in Europe after the Jungfrau, and the highest open-air railway of the continent. The line opened in 1898, and was the first electric rack railway to be built in Switzerland. The Gornergrat is a starting point for many hikes, as it lies surrounded by 29 peaks rising above 4,000 meter or 13,123 ft in the Alps and several glaciers, including the Gorner Glacier, which is billed as the second longest glacier in the Alps. At the end of the line on Gornergrat, the Matterhorn is visible on a clear day. It is also a popular skiing area. Work on the railway started in 1896, five years after the Visp-Zermatt-Bahn had linked Zermatt to Visp and the Rhone Valley. The line opened on August 20, 1898, and was electrified from the start. Initially it only operated in summer, but year-round operation was extended to the lower section of the line in 1929, and to the summit in 1941.

The line is 9,339 meter or 30,640 ft in length, including 3,790 meter or 12,434 ft of double track, and traverses an altitude difference of 1,469 meter or 4,820 ft. It is built to meter gauge (3 ft 3 3/8 in) and uses the Abt rack system throughout. It is one of four lines in the world using three-phase electric power, requiring two overhead conductors, with the track forming the third conductor. [First Image credit trent roche]

Image credit trent roche

Image credit peters452002

Up from Zermatt Findelbach, Gornergratbahn. Image credit Dave Thurlow Photography

Walliser Alpen Gornergrat Umgebung Album Matterhorn Zermatt & Walliseralpene. Image credit arjuna_zbycho

Zermatt Schweiz - Gornergrat Bahn - The Matterhorn railway. Image credit arjuna_zbycho

Riding the Gornergratbahn, the highest open-air railway in Europe, Zermatt, January 2014. Image credit Chris Wronski

Gornergratbahn, The Matterhorn railway. Image credit Gerd Kohlmus

Gornergratbahn rack railway. Image credit Andrew Wells

Image credit Chris Wronski

Indian Temples Abroad 1

 

Indian Temples Abroad Lord Venkateshwara Temple , Birmingham , United Kingdom Malibu Hindu Temple , Malibu , California , US Shiva-Vishnu Temple , Livermore , California , US Lord Vishnu Temple , Angkor , Cambodia   The largest temple of the world, raised during the reign of Suryavarman-II in 12th century, is, in fact, located in Angkor, a major archaeological site of Cambodia . It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is also one of the two temples intact in Angkor , Cambodia . The other is a Buddhist Temple . The largest temple of Lord Vishnu in Angkor is built according to Khmer architecture, original to Cambodia. Prambanan Shiva Temple , Central Java , Indonesia Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple of Greater Chicago - Aurora , Illinois , United States BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir - Toronto , Canada Sri Siva Vishnu Temple , Washington DC , United States BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London Neasden Temple ), United States Sri Murugan Temple Batu Caves , Selanor , "Malaysia" Sri Venkateswara Temple , Bridgewater , NJ , US Mother Temple of Besakih, Bali , Indonesia Murugan Temple , Sydney , Australia Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple , Helensburgh, Sydney , Australia Velmurugan Gnana Muneeswarar Temple , Rivervale Crescent Sengkang , Singapore Sri Meenakshi Devasthanam - Pearland , Texas , US Ekta Mandir, Irving , Texas , US Sri Venkateshwara Temple - New Jersey , US Sri Lakshmi Temple - Ashland , MA , US Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple , Pittsburgh , US       Shiva Vishnu Temple of South Florida Inc, FL, US Shiva - Vishnu Temple of Melbourne , Melbourne , Australia Sri Murugan Temple , London , UK Quad City Hindu Temple , Rock Island , IL , US Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple or Sri Perumal Temple , Little India , Serangoon Road, Singapore