LES GORGES DU PONT DU DIABLE
THE
GORGES OF THE DEVIL'S BRIDGE
After
40 years as a prisoner of the Turkish Sultan in the penal colony of
Akka in what is now Israel, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the
Bahá'í Faith, was finally able to travel to the West. After landing in
Marseille, He came to Thonon-les-Bains on the shores of Lake Geneva on
22 August 1911, stopped in Geneva at the Hotel de la Paix from 31
August to 4 September, and then traveled to London. While in Thonon, He
went with some of the friends on an excursion in the mountains behind
Thonon to visit the gorges of the Devil's Bridge, so called because in
the Middle Ages, villagers who slipped off the precarious path while
trying to cross were
said to have been seized by the Devil. The Drance River has cut a deep
narrow gorge in the calcareous rock, and a large block of stone that
has fallen from the valley wall across the gorge forms a natural
bridge. The spectacular sight has been a tourist attraction since the
19th century, when wooden walkways and stairs were constructed to make
the gorge accessible. The river now has less water, as a dam has been
constructed above the gorges. 'Abdu'l-Bahá was drawn to this place of
spectacular natural beauty.
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The original stairs and walkways in 1900
As part of the Swiss commemoration of the centenary of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's
visit, a field trip was organized to the Gorges of the Devil's Bridge
on 28 August 2011, a hundred years after 'Abdu'l-Bahá's own walk down
into the gorges. We benefited from new steel stairs and walkways
constructed on both sides of the gorge in the 1950s. Still, it was
touching to imagine how 'Abdu'l-Bahá, who like his Father loved the
beauty and spirituality of nature, must have felt in such a beautiful
spot.
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Start of the walk
down to the gorge
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The path and stairs wind down the valley side to the visitors
centre, where we could see the steep rock faces above the gorge
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Our guide explained the origins of the gorges and the Devil's
Bridge in
the visitors centre
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Swiss Bahá'í group in the visitors' centre
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We descended steep stairs and ramps where the river has cut a
narrow gorge in the rock
. 
. 
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The water has carved the stone into fantastic patterns lit by
the light filtering down from the forest above
. 
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After looking up at the stairs we had descended, we had our
first view of the Devil's Bridge, a big stone across the gorge
. 
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The guide explained how the bridge got its name
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The walkway winds through the spectacular gorge above the river
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We could see the Devil's Bridge from the other side
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We walked up the river, admiring the blend of stone and water,
before finally emerging into the forest
. 
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As we climbed up the valley side, we could see the Devil's
Bridge
from above, and appreciate how difficult it was to cross it
The visit was a kind of pilgrimage in nature, with the beauty of the
spot and signs of the natural forces that had created it combined with
thoughts of its association with 'Abdu'l-Bahá and the example He set
for all of us.
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Photographs
copyright © Arthur Lyon Dahl 2011