Mysterious St. Petersburg, whose architecture strikes the imagination of tourists, gives locals a lot of reasons to be proud. Venice of the North with great culture fascinates with its special beauty and plunges into the past, causing a variety of emotions. To get to know the atmospheric and mysterious city closer, guests come here who are breathtaking from the spectacle they have seen. Forever falling in love with St. Petersburg attracts with incomparable energy, powerful and unforgettable.
One of the three animal bridges
The visiting card of the cultural capital of Russia is the bridges that keep the spirit of history, created by talented craftsmen. Among the huge number of crossings of the city on the Neva, the so-called animal crossings stand out. These are the most interesting buildings built and decorated by famous authors P. Sokolov and V. Tretter.
One of the most interesting pedestrian structures is the "Lion Bridge" in St. Petersburg, which isthe main attraction of the historic city. The architectural monument, almost 28 meters long, is always full of tourists who are happy to take pictures on a suspended structure decorated with powerful figures of snow-white lions.
Popular attraction
The Lion's Chain Bridge near the Griboyedov Canal was opened on July 1, 1826. On this day, almost three thousand local residents walked along it, attracted by the unique appearance of the structure, on four sides of which two-meter sculptures of animals rose. The lions were made at the city's iron foundry and painted to look like marble.
After its opening, the local attraction began to gain popularity not only in St. Petersburg, but also abroad. The famous architect from Germany Hesse, admiring the original bridge, set out to recreate its reduced copy, which was later installed in the Tiergarten park in Berlin. True, the span structure and the railing were made of wood.
Terrible animals, as conceived by the authors, serve not only as the main decoration of the majestic structure: inside the hollow sculptures there are various mechanisms and fixtures on which the "Lion's Bridge" rests. The original figures, consisting of two halves, were cast from cast iron. On their backs and chest, even with the naked eye, you can see the connecting seam.
Reconstructions
Citizens were amazed at the discrepancy between the monumental figures and the graceful structure, decorated with openworklattice, which gave the structure lightness. Unfortunately, in the 19th century it was replaced with an ordinary iron fence. The hexagonal lanterns that illuminated the Lion's Bridge were removed, and the animal figures were changed from a light shade to a dark one. Only in 1954 the building was restored, returning the missing structural details to their place. And after another 56 years, the sculptures were repainted in the original color.
Signs related to the bridge
Several urban legends are connected with the oldest bridge. One of them says that a person who stands between the lions and reaches the figures with his fingertips will be happy, and his cherished desire will come true. Two centuries ago, when there was no ultrasound, there was a sign that made it possible to determine the sex of the baby: the future mother stood on the Lion Bridge and waited for who would climb it first - a man or a woman. Most often, the prediction came true. Tourists passing through the historical monument are sure to make a wish and rub their paws with muscular animals.
Where is one of the main attractions of Northern Palmyra?
A ten-minute walk from St. Isaac's Square is the popular Lion's Bridge in St. Petersburg, whose address is Griboedov Canal Embankment, 97. The nearest metro stations are Spasskaya, Sennaya Ploshchad, Sadovaya. From them, it will not be difficult for tourists to get to a local attraction.
Lion Bridge Hotel
Next to a curious tourist site, there is a mini-hotel, located a 10-minute walk frommetro station "Sadovaya" "At the Lion's Bridge" offers comfortable accommodation in stylish rooms of the "standard" and "economy" categories, equipped with everything necessary for living.
Tourists love to walk around the original structure, which looks incredibly beautiful in the moonlight. The snow-white figures of lions look amazing at night, when their silhouettes tremble in the dark surface of the Griboyedov Canal. Tired guests of St. Petersburg return to a cozy mini-hotel to relax, and with renewed vigor go on a journey through the city on the Neva, full of secrets and mysteries.
