The Legend of the Teufelsbrücke (Devil’s Bridge)

In the narrow Schöllenen Gorge near Andermatt in the canton of Uri, there once stood a wild and dangerous river called the Reuss. For centuries, people tried to build a bridge across the raging waters, but every attempt failed. The river swept away every stone and beam.

One stormy night, a desperate shepherd stood on the cliff and cried out in frustration: “I would give anything to have a bridge here!”

Suddenly, the Devil himself appeared in a flash of lightning. He offered to build a perfect, unbreakable stone bridge in a single night — but only on one condition: the first living being to cross the bridge would belong to him forever.

The shepherd agreed.

The next morning, a magnificent stone bridge stood where none had before. The Devil waited smugly on the other side, ready to claim his prize. But the clever shepherd had a plan. He took a piece of bread, placed it on one end of the bridge, and let his hungry goat run across first.

The Devil was furious at being tricked by a mere goat. In his rage, he grabbed a huge rock and tried to destroy the bridge. But as he lifted it, the church bells began to ring in the valley below. The Devil dropped the rock and vanished in defeat.

To this day, you can still see the “Teufelsstein” (Devil’s Stone) lying near the bridge — a massive boulder the Devil could not throw far enough.

Significance:

This legend symbolizes the Swiss spirit of cleverness, resilience, and defiance against impossible odds. It also reflects the historical struggle to connect remote mountain communities through engineering and willpower.