Dragons are an important historic symbol in Slovenia and, as such, one can see why Dragon Bridge in Ljubljana is so popular. It crosses the Ljubljana River and provides access to its famous Central Market.
(Central Market and the Ljubljana River as viewed from Dragon Bridge)
The bridge contains four dragon statues, one at each of its four corners, which were beautifully crafted in Vienna. It was constructed between 1900 and 1901, a time of Art Nouveau, and was Ljubljana's first reinforced concrete structure. It replaced an old wooden bridge, called Butchers' Bridge, which had been on the site since 1819 and which was damaged by an earthquake in 1895.
The bridge is also decorated by lamps containing griffins at their base, which were originally powered by gas.
When the bridge was completed, it was dedicated to Hapsburg Emperor Franz Joseph I, commemorating forty years of his rule.
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