Dragon Bridge

The Dragon Bridge crosses the Ljubljanica River beside the central market in Ljubljana, and it is one of the best-known landmarks of the Slovenian capital. It was built between 1900 and 1901 in the Vienna Secession style, the Austrian variety of Art Nouveau, as part of the rebuilding of the city after the earthquake of 1895 had damaged large parts of the centre. The bridge was named the Jubilee Bridge of Emperor Franz Joseph I, in honour of his long reign, and it was a modern engineering work for its time: it was the first major bridge in the city built of reinforced concrete, a new material, and its sweeping arch was faced with stone and decorated with metalwork. The popular name came later and has stuck.

The dragons are the reason for the name. Four dragons of hammered copper crouch on pedestals at the corners of the bridge, with wings spread, claws out and tongues curled, and they look down on people crossing and on the water below. The dragon is the symbol of Ljubljana and appears on the city's coat of arms, the castle tower and many other places in the town. The origin lies in a legend that the Greek hero Jason and his Argonauts, fleeing with the Golden Fleece, sailed up the river to the marshes where Ljubljana now stands and killed a dragon there. A more earthly source for the symbol may be the dragon of Saint George, the patron of the castle chapel. A local joke says that the dragons wag their tails whenever a virgin crosses the bridge, which has never been seen to happen.

The bridge is also a good vantage point. From the middle you can look along the river to the Triple Bridge and the Butchers' Bridge, with its padlocks left by couples, and up to the castle on its hill. Close at hand, the market designed by Jože Plečnik runs along the riverbank, with stalls selling fruit, vegetables, flowers and local products on weekday mornings and on Saturdays. The Cathedral of St. Nicholas and the old streets of the town are a few steps away, and Congress Square lies a short walk to the west. The embankments on both sides of the river have cafes where you can sit and watch the bridge.

The bridge is free to see, always open and takes only a few minutes to cross, but it rewards a slow look at the sculpture and the details of the railings and lamps. Early morning, before the crowds, and evening, when it is lit, are the best times. The bridge is a natural stop on any walk through the city centre, and it suits all visitors, including families, photographers and anyone interested in Art Nouveau architecture.