Stańczyki Viaducts

What looks like two enormous Roman viaducts stand near a small Polish village. These defunct railroad bridges tower over the tiny settlement and its surrounding woodland.

The Stańczyki Viaducts are among the largest bridges in Poland. The reinforced concrete behemoths stretch nearly 600 feet long, stand 120 feet tall, and boast arches that clock in at just under 50 feet long.

The two bridges were built in the 20th century; the northern one between 1912 and 1914 and its southern counterpart between 1923 and 1926. They served as railway overpasses that connected the towns of Gołdap and Żytkiejmy.

During World War II, trains carted both military and building supplies as well as passengers across the viaducts, which stood in an area that was then part of Germany. But after the war ended, the Soviet Army dismantled the railway tracks, rendering the bridges useless.

Up until 2001, the abandoned viaducts were used by bungee jumpers. In 2003, the structures were sold to a private entrepreneur. Visitors can now visit the bridges (for a small fee) to get a close look at these towering overpasses.