Process for continuously casting metal and continuous casting apparatus used thereof

In a process for continuously casting a metal strand by casting metal into a straight, vertically oriented mold and subsequently drawing off the strand formed in the mold, the straight strand at first is bent into a circular arc shape in a bending zone along a transition curve, is guided along a circular arc guide and finally is straightened in a final straightening zone along a transition curve and, after this, is extracted via an approximately horizontal straight guide. In order to provide, departing from a continuous casting apparatus including a curved mold, an apparatus including a straight mold while applying as large a number as possible of components of the continuous casting apparatus including the curved mold, it is proceeded in the following manner: The straight strand emerging from the mold in at least one bending zone along a transition curve is bent into a circular arc shape having a first radius and in at least one consecutively arranged straightening zone along a transition curve is bent into a circular arc shape having a larger radius than the first radius.