About God's Bridge
In the middle of the village of Ponoarele, the county road to Baia de Aramă crosses a bridge that nobody built. God's Bridge is a limestone arch about 30 m long, 13 m wide and up to 22 m high, with a vault 9 m thick, left standing after the roof of a cave collapsed in two places long ago. The water that carved the cave comes from Lake Zăton, up on the plateau, and vanishes underground through Ponoarele Cave, to resurface a few kilometres downstream. It is the largest natural bridge in the country, the second largest in Europe and, geologists say, the only one in the world carrying a public road, lorries included.
Local legend has it that God took pity on the people of Ponoarele, who could not cross the Prag valley, and drove out the devil hiding in the cave; as he fled, the roof caved in, and the bridge was what remained. Another story links it to St Nicodim of Tismana, who is said to have passed this way around 1370.
The bridge is a natural monument and part of the Ponoarele Karst Complex, in the Mehedinți Plateau Geopark, a protected area of over 100,000 ha run by the county council. Around it, within a few kilometres, are gathered all the landforms of limestone country: caves, sinkholes, a lake that comes and goes, a field of limestone pavement and the largest wild lilac forest in the country.
What you can see
The bridge is best seen from below: from the village centre a path drops into the Prag valley, under the arch, where the limestone vault in 1–2 m beds rises over your head, with the mouth of Ponoarele Cave right at the upstream end. The cave, 734 m long and at 337 m altitude, is undeveloped: it can be visited only with a local guide, in boots, helmet and headlamp, and it shelters three species of bat; the first chamber can be seen from the entrance.
Above the cave, on the plateau, lies Lake Zăton, a temporary lake that fills after rain and snowmelt and dries up in summer, when the water drains through sinkholes into the underground. Next to it is the limestone pavement, a slope of limestone furrowed by water into grooves and ridges, like a sea of stone. 2–3 km away, along the forest track, the Lilac Forest, a 20 ha botanical reserve, blooms in early May, when the village holds the Lilac Festival, with folk music and a fair.
Good to know
Everything can be seen free of charge, at any hour, but the infrastructure is minimal: a few panels, a bench, no kiosk. The path under the bridge is stony and slippery after rain. If you want to go into the cave, arrange a guide in advance through the village guesthouses.
- The arch of the bridge seen from below, from the Prag valley, with the bedded limestone vault overhead.
- The mouth of Ponoarele Cave at the upstream end of the bridge, with the first chamber visible from the entrance.
- Lake Zăton, the lake that appears after rain and vanishes in summer through the sinkholes, with the village church on its shore.
- The limestone pavement, the slope of limestone furrowed by water like a sea of stone.
- The lilac forest in bloom, in early May, during the Lilac Festival.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: Ponoarele is on the DJ 670, 5 km from Baia de Aramă. From Drobeta-Turnu Severin it is ~58 km on the DJ 670 via Cireșu and Isverna (~1 hour); from Târgu Jiu ~60 km on the DN67 and DN67D to Baia de Aramă (~1h15); from Băile Herculane ~60 km on the DN67D over the mountains (~1h15). The road runs right over the bridge, in the village centre; park by the town hall and walk down.
Public transport: the Drobeta-Turnu Severin – Baia de Aramă minibuses pass through Ponoarele, with a stop in the centre (~1h15); from Baia de Aramă, which also has services from Târgu Jiu, it is 5 km by taxi or on foot.
- Where to park
Free parking in the village centre, by the town hall and the police station, a few steps from the bridge. Spaces are few, but they only fill up during the Lilac Festival, when people park along the road.
- Fees & discounts
The bridge, Lake Zăton, the limestone pavement and the lilac forest are free to visit; there is no entry fee for the geopark. Ponoarele Cave can be visited only with a local guide, at a price agreed on the spot; the village guesthouses can arrange the visit. Bring cash: there are no cash machines in the village.
- Rules
You are in a protected area: keep to the paths, do not break off rock, leave no litter, light no fires. Do not enter the cave without a guide and without a helmet, headlamp and shoes with good grip; there are flooded stretches and bats that must not be disturbed. The road crosses the bridge: do not stop your car on the arch and watch the village traffic when taking photos. In the lilac forest do not pick the lilac and do not camp. Dogs on a lead.
- Facilities
Information panels at the bridge · a bench under the bridge · no public toilets and no kiosk · guesthouses and restaurants in the village and in Baia de Aramă (5 km) · the path under the bridge is not pushchair-accessible; the bridge can also be seen from the road · reasonable mobile signal · village shop
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