Devil's Rock, Budča
Devil's Rock (Slovak: Čertova skala; also known as the Mushroom rock)[1] is a naturally formed stone structure that stands on the edge of a mountain in the Boky national nature reserve near Budča in Slovakia.[2] It is unique in Central Europe.[3]
Čertova skala was formed through the weathering of a volcanic bomb made of andesite. The boulder is linked to local legends, leading to its being named after the devil.[4]
Description
[edit]
The boulder is balanced on a small patch of bedrock on the edge of a mountain.[5][6][7] It weighs approximately 17 tonnes and has a volume of around 5 cubic metres.[8][9][10] It lies on a small uplifted area of stone with dimensions of 58x38 cm.[11] The upper part of the boulder is made of andesite, under which is tuffite, which weathered much faster, resulting in its current shape.[12] It was formed from a flattened volcanic bomb, which protects a less resistant pillar composed of tuff and agglomerates.[13][14] The boulder is connected to the base by a thin layer of volcanic tuff which is approximately 2 cm thick.[13][15]
Despite some visitors attempting to damage it, research shows that the Devil's Rock is secure and likely to last for hundreds or thousands of years, barring seismic activity.[1][10][16] The rock's unique shape resulted from weathering differences between the layers, and it is protected within the Boky national nature reserve.[1][16]
Name
[edit]The Devil's Rock is linked to local legends, including one that says the devil once tried to cast a spell on the inhabitants of Budča, but the stone fell on a nearby hill instead, preventing any harm.[6] Another legend says that the boulder was built by the devil himself, who wanted to throw it down and punish the inhabitants of Budča.[9] It was later named after the devil.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 a.s, Petit Press. "Devil's Rock standing firm". The Slovak Spectator. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ Teraz.sk (2025-09-30). "V rezervácii Boky pri Zvolene otvárajú obnovený náučný chodník". TERAZ.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Čertova skala (Devil's Rock) | Hiking Hronská Breznica | KamNaVylet.sk". www.kamnavylet.sk. Archived from the original on 2025-02-19. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ Jurzová, Kristína (2018-06-10). "Unikát v celej strednej Európe: Viete, kde na Slovensku nájdete povesťami opradenú Čertovu skalu?". dobrenoviny.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Život v Budči" (PDF). pdfknihy.sk. Obec Budča. 2015. p. 23. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- 1 2 s.r.o, MaVaSto. "Devil's rock". www.hladamchatu.sk. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ "Devil's Rock - Neighbours". Penzión Centrál. 2017-08-17. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- 1 2 a.s, Petit Press. "Unusual rocky formation looks like it will fall any minute". The Slovak Spectator. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- 1 2 "Kamenné divy Slovenska: Skalné útvary, ktoré musíte vidieť na vlastné oči". Plus jeden deň (in Slovak). 2025-07-08. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- 1 2 a.s, Petit Press. "Čertova skala nie je kývavec". SME.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Skalný hríb Čertova skala | PlanetSlovakia.sk". www.planetslovakia.sk. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ Kovár, František (2025-10-28). "Skalný hríb Čertova skala je nevšedný a v Európe ojedinelý prírodný útvar". INovinky (in Slovak). Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- 1 2 "Čertova skala". Slovenský cestovateľ (in Slovak). Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ "Boky – Čertova skala". Hor sa na hory. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ s.r.o, Zoznam (2019-05-01). "Čertova skala - európsky unikát v srdci Slovenska". Dromedar.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- 1 2 a.s, Petit Press. "Devil's Rock is firm". The Slovak Spectator. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Devil’s Rock, Budča at Wikimedia Commons
