The Bridge of Lies was built in 1859 in order to facilitate the passage of carts and pedestrians over a small gap between the Small Square and Huet Square. In the past, this gap was a tunnel that allowed access to the fortress of Sibiu. The bridge is the third and most likely last bridge to be made out of cast-iron in Romania.
This structure, despite the surrounding architectural sites, is one of the highlights of the city, thanks to the legends associated with it. The most common claim is that the bridge has strange effects – if someone is lying while passing over it, the bridge will shake, giving the impression that it will collapse and the liar will fall to the ground. Another legend claims that this bridge was the site of a meeting between the soldiers and ladies of Sibiu. In order to win over the women, the soldiers swore love and loyalty to their partners, but ultimately never returned to the city. Other stories say that the name of the bridge comes from some unscrupulous traders who cheated their customers in order to get the maximum profit from their goods.
Regarding the construction, the architecture of the bridge is very interesting, without any support or covering. However it was named “Podul Culcat”, which translates to “covered bridge” in Romanian. In the Saxon dialect the word “culcat” translates to lie; this rather large error in translation has allowed for locals to fantasize and create legends about the history of the bridge.
Historical Monument
Bulgaria
Macedonia
Romania
Sibiu