Slovakia · SK

Chmarošský viadukt

Just outside the hill village of Telgárt in central Slovakia, the Chmaroška Viaduct (Chmarošský viadukt) sweeps across a green valley on nine pale stone arches, so perfectly framed by the road that most visitors first see it through a car window and stop dead. Built in the 1930s as part of the remarkable Telgárt railway loop, this 113-metre-long, 18-metre-high curve of masonry is one of the most photographed technical monuments in the country—and one of the easiest to reach. It makes a memorable stop on a drive through the Horehronie valley between Brezno and the Slovak Paradise, a short walk from Telgárt itself, or a highlight on the educational trail that climbs to the source of the river Hron. The viaduct sits in active railway service, so on a good day you can stand beneath its arches and watch a train glide across the curve above you.