Hradecky Bridge

About

The Hradecky Bridge (Slovene: Hradeckega most) is a footbridge spanning the Ljubljanica River in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It connects Hrenova Street in the Trnovo District with the Prule neighbourhood of the Center District. One of the first hinged arch bridges in the world, and the first (and only preserved) cast iron bridge in Slovenia, it was praised as a technical achievement at its construction in 1867, as well as for its elegance, modernity, and cost-effectiveness.

The bridge's modular construction has made it relatively easy to relocate, and it has been moved twice. By virtue of its location on the route used to transport decedents from Ljubljana's main hospital to the city mortuary (between 1931 and 2010), it gained the somber nickname "Bridge of the Dead" (Mrtvaški most), which remains in colloquial use. The bridge was manufactured according to the plans of engineer Johann Hermann from Vienna at the Auersperg iron foundry in Dvor near Žužemberk, and was installed as the first cast iron bridge in Ljubljana in 1867, replacing the wooden Cobblers' Bridge.

It has three articulated arches, each of them made of two sections joined by a bolt at the highest point of the...