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Lions' Bridge is a bridge over the Vladaya River
in the centre of Sofia
, the capital of Bulgaria
, built 1889-1891 by Czech architect Václav Prošek, his brother Jozef and his cousins Bohdan and Jiří. It gives the name to the important and busy juncture of Marie Louise Boulevard
and Slivnitsa Boulevard at which it is located, connecting the Central Railway Station
with the city centre and marking its northern border.
s, its most recognizable feature. All metal elements of the bridge were produced by the Austria
n company of Rudolph Philipp Waagner, and electric lights were installed in the early 1900s. The entire construction of the bridge cost 260,000 golden leva
.
The Prošek family also designed and built the similar but eagle
-themed Eagles' Bridge marking the city centre's eastern border in 1891.
One of the bronze lions is depicted on the reverse
of the Bulgarian 20 levs
banknote, issued in 1999 and 2007.
Vladaya River
The Vladaya River is a river in western Bulgaria, a tributary to the Iskar River.The river flows from the northwestern slopes of Cherni Vrah on Vitosha Mountain, crossing Torfeno Branishte Nature Reserve, then submerging beneath Zlatnite Mostove Stone River, turning to the northeast at the village...
in the centre of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, the capital of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, built 1889-1891 by Czech architect Václav Prošek, his brother Jozef and his cousins Bohdan and Jiří. It gives the name to the important and busy juncture of Marie Louise Boulevard
Marie Louise Boulevard
Marie Louise Boulevard , shortly called Marie Louise is a central boulevard in Sofia. It lies between Central Railway Station and the Vitosha Boulevard which is its continuation in direction to the National Palace of Culture. The boulevard passes through one the city's most emblematic bridges,...
and Slivnitsa Boulevard at which it is located, connecting the Central Railway Station
Central Railway Station, Sofia
The Central Railway Station Sofia is the main passenger railway station of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, as well as the largest railway station of the country...
with the city centre and marking its northern border.
Overview
The bridge was built from stone at the place of an older bridge called Sharen Most (Шарен мост, "Motley Bridge") because it was decorated with red and yellow stripes. The name of Lions' Bridge comes from the four bronze sculptures of lionLion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
s, its most recognizable feature. All metal elements of the bridge were produced by the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n company of Rudolph Philipp Waagner, and electric lights were installed in the early 1900s. The entire construction of the bridge cost 260,000 golden leva
Bulgarian lev
The lev is the currency of Bulgaria. It is divided in 100 stotinki . In archaic Bulgarian the word "lev" meant "lion".It is speculated that Bulgaria, as a member of the European Union will adopt the Euro in 2015 .- First lev, 1881–1952 :...
.
The Prošek family also designed and built the similar but eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
-themed Eagles' Bridge marking the city centre's eastern border in 1891.
One of the bronze lions is depicted on the reverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
of the Bulgarian 20 levs
Bulgarian lev
The lev is the currency of Bulgaria. It is divided in 100 stotinki . In archaic Bulgarian the word "lev" meant "lion".It is speculated that Bulgaria, as a member of the European Union will adopt the Euro in 2015 .- First lev, 1881–1952 :...
banknote, issued in 1999 and 2007.