Bridge of Lies

Small Square, 1859

Considered to be a forged iron gem, The Bridge of Lies is one of the most important symbols of the city. Rebuilt in 1859 by Friedrich Hütte in the former location of a wooden bridge, The Bridge of Lies is the first forged iron bridge in Romania. Due to the fact that it was the first bridge not built on pillars, it was called “the lying bridge”. In German the word “lying" (lugenmarchen) was homonymous to the word “lie" and thus the locals began calling it the Bridge of Lies which is why the legends around its name appeared.

The legend says that the bridge will collapse if someone will sit on it and tell a lie. In the local oral tradition circulates various legends about this bridge, legends about the lovers lies or those of the merchants that sold in the area.

A favorite strolling place for young couples, the bridge stands out due to its resistance pieces decorated with rosettes and a belt of elements placed in circles with decreasing sizes and adorned with vegetal and neo-gothic geometric motifs. These bear on the southern side the coat of arms of Sibiu and on the northern side the inscriptions “1859” and “Friedrich Hütte”. The four pedestals at the extremity of the bridge, more robust and made in stone, sustain lighting devices made in cast iron. The metallic rail of the bridge consists of eight panels with circles in a gothic radial décor.