The Bridges Over the Ljubljanica

Butchers' Bridge

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Attraction | "Lovers' Locks"

Statue of Prometheus Photo - Butchers' Bridge, Ljubljana, Slovenia

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The Butchers' Bridge is one of the newest landmarks in Ljubljana but it has quickly become one of the most popular, not just with tourists but with people who live in the city. The bridge is yet another one to span the Ljubljanica and it is situated approximately halfway between the Dragon Bridge and the Triple Bridge, more specifically linking the northern embankment, the Petkovskovo Nabrezje, with a gap between the two colonnaded buildings of the central market. When Joze Plecnik designed the central market it was his intention that there should be a bridge at this spot but this was never realised because of the outbreak of World War Two. It was not until the early nineties that the idea...Read More

The Butchers' Bridge is one of the newest landmarks in Ljubljana but it has quickly become one of the most popular, not just with tourists but with people who live in the city. The bridge is yet another one to span the Ljubljanica and it is situated approximately halfway between the Dragon Bridge and the Triple Bridge, more specifically linking the northern embankment, the Petkovskovo Nabrezje, with a gap between the two colonnaded buildings of the central market.

When Joze Plecnik designed the central market it was his intention that there should be a bridge at this spot but this was never realised because of the outbreak of World War Two. It was not until the early nineties that the idea was revived and a decision had to be made whether to build the bridge according to Plecnik's original design, or to choose a new one; in the end it was decided to use a new design (partly because, I believe, the original design contravened a planning law that had since been enacted) but the project wasn't officially launched until 2009.

Ljubljana is a small city and it is no hardship, if you're standing between the Dragon Bridge and the Triple Bridge, to walk to either one to cross the river. The Ljubljanica is not very wide either so a grand design would not only be unnecessary, but more than a tad over the top. The Butchers' Bridge is a rather modest thing of simple design although it does have the novelty factor of the outer footways being made from reinforced glass so you can see the water below your feet. The main central walkway is grey granite.The sides of the bridge are just a few lines of twisted cable and the construction is very simple. The design is by Slovenian firm 'Atelier arhitekti'.

It's the "extras" that provide the talking points. There are a series of sculptures by renowned Slovenia artist Jakov Brdar (there are examples of his work in the park at the eastern end of Lake Bled) at the northern end of the bridge and on the handrail that runs along it. While they are all striking in their own way, I can't say that I like them all and I don't really get the choice of subject matter - I understand the rationale the artist has used, but I don't necessarily think that it works in this context.

According to articles in newspapers and design journals the sculptures are meant to tell a story. There's a life size sculpture of Prometheus, punished by having been disembowelled for spreading the knowledge of the power of fire to mankind; I'm clearly missing something because I can't work out why that would fit in with a bridge built by a meat market.

Then there's a depiction of Adam and Eve, banished from Paradise for having been tempted by the serpent to try the apple. I heard that it's deliberate that this statue faces towards the cathedral and while this makes sense, I still haven't worked out why this subject would be placed in this location. Finally there's an interpretation of the Satyr being started by the serpent, another mythical tale that is full of drama but seems odd in this context. I much prefer the little quirky sculptures on the handrail of the bridge and on the footway. These are 'grotesques', stylised and slightly evil looking frogs and shellfish.

The thing people most associate with the Butchers' Bridge is something that is not actually part of the design. Soon after it opened, loved up couples started to attached customised (usually with their initials or names written on, sometimes spray painted or decorated with fake jewels or little heart shaped decals) padlocks to the cables of the bridge; if you've been to Paris you may have seen something similar on the Pont des Artes (this also happens in Pecs in Hungary, and on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence; it also used to happen in Moscow but the authorities have now prevented couples attaching locks to the Luzhkov Bridge by adding some thick iron bars). Some people have even attached their padlocks to some of the animal sculptures. I love the way that something that was never intended to be here has become the thing that most visitors stop to look at; it makes the bridge a very democratic piece of architecture that feels very much as if it belongs to the people of Ljubljana.

The bridge is also democratic in that is has not only pedestrian and bicycle section but also dedicated ramps (that is separate from the ones for cyclists) for wheelchairs and prams. At the southern end you can go down the ramp to the basement of the market hall and out to the little jetty which is the only one in town that provides wheelchair access to boats.

Although there have been tables outside the cafes on this part of the river front all the time I've been visiting Ljubljana, this part seems to me busier than it used to be. Perhaps having an additional crossing point brings more people to this spot. The Premier Bar is hardly different from the many other bars in the area but it is very popular and the place for al fresco drinking on a warm summer's evening. If you've been in Slovenia a while and have tired of the usual Lasko or Union beers, you should stop here to try a pint of one of the Humanfish beers, made at a microbrewery in the town of Slovenj Gradec near the Austrian border.

Alternatively, an interesting place to sit is just a little way along the northern bank towards the Triple Bridge. Look out for the couple of steps that lead to a riverside arbour, just a few covered steps, really, perched on the bank but a shady place on a hot day and a place that gives a rather different perspective on the Butchers' Bridge.
The Butchers' Bridge is a wonderful addition to Ljubljana's collection of quite individual river crossings. I can't say I love all of the sculptures but I love the addition of the padlocks and I can never resist stopping to see who has been adding another. Maybe I'll add my own next time.

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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on September 14, 2011

Butchers' Bridge
Connects Central Market and Petkovšek Embankment
Ljubljana

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Triple Bridge/Tromostovje

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Attraction | "Three Bridges for the Price of One"

The Triple Bridge, Ljubljana Photo - Triple Bridge/Tromostovje, Ljubljana, Slovenia

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The Tromostovje, or Triple Bridge, is one of Ljubljana’s best loved landmarks and one of the best known works by Joze Plecnik, the architect responsible for creating the Ljubljana we see today. There’s a good chance that visitors to the city will cross the bridge back and forth a few times during any trip and you can always spot a first time visitor by his or her reaction when first confronted with the landmark.The Triple Bridge is in the very heart of Ljubljana, spanning the impossibly green Ljubljanica River and linking Presernov trg with the old town. Since this part of the centre was pedestrianised a couple of years ago it’s become an even nicer spot and it’s now much easier to appreci...Read More

The Tromostovje, or Triple Bridge, is one of Ljubljana’s best loved landmarks and one of the best known works by Joze Plecnik, the architect responsible for creating the Ljubljana we see today. There’s a good chance that visitors to the city will cross the bridge back and forth a few times during any trip and you can always spot a first time visitor by his or her reaction when first confronted with the landmark.

The Triple Bridge is in the very heart of Ljubljana, spanning the impossibly green Ljubljanica River and linking Presernov trg with the old town. Since this part of the centre was pedestrianised a couple of years ago it’s become an even nicer spot and it’s now much easier to appreciate Plecnik’s beautiful design. It’s also a good place to get a good view of another of the architect’s designs, the elegant market hall.

The design is trademark Plecnik: the balustrades and the stone pillars on which the very simple lamps are places are typical features of his work. If you go to the museum in his former home you’ll see pillars that look very much like the ones on the bridge, propped up in the garden. Plecnik hated waste and if any components were left over or damaged, he’d salvage them for his garden.

The middle of the three bridges is the original; or rather it was, because the original was a timber construction. There are several bridges within walking distance of this point today so it’s perhaps difficult to appreciate the importance of a bridge in this spot but in medieval times the bridge connected northern Europe with the Balkans. The timber bridge was replaced with a stone one in 1842; at that time local people referred to the bridge informally as the ‘Hospital Bridge’ but its official name was Franz’s Bridge, named in honour of Archduke Franz Karl. An inscription above the central pier bears testimony to this; it can be seen best from the water.

When I first started visiting Ljubljana the middle bridge was the road bridge and pedestrians would use the two outer footbridges; these were added by Plecnik between 1929 and 1932. The bridge had become something of a bottleneck so Plecnik’s new design would remove pedestrians to the edges and let the traffic move more freely.

I love the way that the spaces between the bridges, and those on the balustrades provide unusual glimpses down into the water. The area is surrounded by handsome buildings but there’s something in Plecnik’s design that compels you to look down as well as up and around.

There’s something quite Venetian about the little steps that lead down from the foot bridges and this effect is best appreciated on a boat trip along the river. I’ve seen the Triple Bridge more times than I can remember but after eight years, I saw completely new aspects by going under the bridge in a boat.

I love this spot. On a sunny Sunday morning I love to sit with a coffee at the cafe at the Presernov trg end of the Tromostovje and watch the world go by. There’s often something going on around Presernov trg, always a reason to linger. Not that you need one; it’s great to stand on the bridges and look down the river in either direction whatever the time of year.

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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 18, 2012

Triple Bridge/Tromostovje
River Ljubljanica From Presernov Trg To The Old Town
Ljubljana, Slovenia

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Dragon Bridge/Zmajski Most

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Attraction | "Ljubljana's Bridge of Dragons"

Zmajski most - the Dragon Bridge Photo - Dragon Bridge/Zmajski Most, Ljubljana, Slovenia

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All visitors to Ljubljana see the famous Tromostovje, or Triple Bridge, but not so many get far enough along the river to see the Zmajski most, the Dragon Bridge. It’s not actually very far from the Triple Bridge but perhaps tourists walk along Trubarjeva and think it’s better to turn back as the shops become less interesting. I’d guess that more visitors are likely to find the bridge if they come from the central market because the bridge crosses the Ljubljanica just after the end of the handsome market hall buildings. The bridge was opened in 1901 and it replaced an old wooden bridge called the Butchers’ Bridge (a brand new modern Butchers’ Bridge opened a couple of years ago further dow...Read More

All visitors to Ljubljana see the famous Tromostovje, or Triple Bridge, but not so many get far enough along the river to see the Zmajski most, the Dragon Bridge. It’s not actually very far from the Triple Bridge but perhaps tourists walk along Trubarjeva and think it’s better to turn back as the shops become less interesting. I’d guess that more visitors are likely to find the bridge if they come from the central market because the bridge crosses the Ljubljanica just after the end of the handsome market hall buildings.

The bridge was opened in 1901 and it replaced an old wooden bridge called the Butchers’ Bridge (a brand new modern Butchers’ Bridge opened a couple of years ago further down the river, halfway between here and the Triple Bridge) which was destroyed in the great earthquake of 1895. For reasons of cost the material chosen was reinforced concrete. The precise details of construction were slightly different to the more fashionable methods and it is believed that this was trialled in Ljubljana rather than in Vienna because there would be less fallout should thinks not work according to plan. A Vienna company Pittel+Brausewetter constructed the bridge according to the design of Jurij Zaninovic. This bridge represents many engineering firsts. It was the first bridge in Slovenia to be paved with asphalt and the first reinforced concrete bridge in Ljubljana.

Originally the bridge was named the Franz Josef bridge; it was re-named the Dragon Bridge in 1919. Naturally it gets this name from the dragons that decorate it; there are four large dragons which stand on pedestals at the four corners of the bridge and sixteen smaller ones which decorate the bridge at intervals. They are made from sheet copper and now have that lovely verdigris patina that comes with copper that has been exposed to the elements.

The dragon is a common motif in Ljubljana architecture; if you visit Ljubljana castle you’ll see little wrought iron dragons that attach the lamps to the old stone walls. It’s a symbol that appears on the coast of arms of the city. Legend has it that Ljubljana was founded by Jason; he and his Argonauts are supposed to have slain a dragon, in fact one of the four represented in this bridge is said to be that very dragon. In Slovenia they say that when a Slovenian born virgin crosses the bridge, the dragons will wag their tails: as far as I know nobody has ever seen this.

The four large dragons are quite magnificent. It’s worth taking a closer look to admire the detail such as the scales running down the dragons’ powerful tails and the sharp claws that overhang the pedestal. I love the muscly thighs of the squatting beast and the detail of the dragons’ wings that remind me of the leathery wings of bats.

I love this bridge and its simple, understated design. It’s very obviously a piece of Viennese secessionist architecture but the use of the dragons in the ornamentation makes it feel quite Slovenian. I also love the way that it feels like part of Plecnik’s Ljubljana, even though it was not the work of the man who designs make Ljubljana the city it is today; the material and many of the details such as the lamps (known as ‘candelabras, also cast from sheet bronzed and now beautifully verdigris-ed) tie in so well with the Triple Bridge.

The sad thing about this bridge is the traffic that whizzes by as you try to enjoy it. The creation of a pedestrian zone in much of the old town has resulted in traffic across this bridge becoming more intense and this is a road that leads to the main bus and train stations and the busy inner ring road so it is understandably busy. Still, it’s a sight that shouldn’t be missed so if you find yourself walking along Trubarjeva, keep going until you get to the bridge. It’s worth that extra minute.

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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 19, 2012

Dragon Bridge/Zmajski Most
Crosses Ljubljanica River between Kopitar and Ressel Streets
Ljubljana, Slovenia

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