Roman bridge near the village of Nenkovo
In antiquity and the Middle Ages, numerous roads passed through the Eastern Rhodopes. Road arteries are laid along raging mountain rivers. Along the rivers Arda and Borovitsa, the roads connected Filipopol and Edirne. In the years of its heyday, the growing Roman Empire developed and built a remarkable transcontinental road network. The Roman bridge near the village of Nenkovo is part of the many bridges built at that time. In their construction, masonry arch structures are widely used. A small part of them are still preserved today. Classical Roman bridges are massive, with semicircular arches resting on thick piers roughly half the width of the arch opening. Without a doubt, the most famous such bridge in Bulgaria is the Devil’s Bridge over the Arda River near the village of Dyadovtsi, commune. Arduino, which is surrounded by a lot of mysticism and legends.
However, few people know that along the Borovitsa River, near the village of Nenkovo, there is another one similar to it. The Roman Bridge near the village of Nenkovo is 2 meters longer than the Devil’s Bridge and the length of the roadway reaches 58 meters. It is asymmetrical, with 5 stone arches of different sizes. It connected the two banks of the Borovitsa river, just before the village of Nenkovo. Today part of the bridge is destroyed and it is no longer used. According to local rumors, gold was buried in its foundations and some of the stones were removed by treasure hunters. The nearby village of Nenkovo is connected to the world by a more recent bridge, which is the only means of transportation for its residents.
Tourist guide
The bridge is located near the village of Nenkovo in the Rhodopes. Nenkovo is located 30 kilometers from Kardjali in the northeast direction, a little above the Kardjali dam. To reach the bridge, you have to stop 700 meters south of the village on the road to Padartsi. The road runs parallel to the Borovitsa River. It can be reached by leaving your car on the side of the road and continuing on foot for a few meters along the gentle path that goes down to the river. Read more…