The legends behind Sibiu’s Bridge of Lies

Sibiu is surely one of the most well preserved medieval cities in Transylvania. If you ever find yourself visiting the beautiful medieval city Sibiu, in the center of Romania, make sure to check out one of its famous landmarks, the Bridge of Lies which has a couple of legends behind its name.

The facts

In 1859 the old wooden pedestrian bridge over the Ocnei Street, which connects the old town to the new, was rebuilt by the firm Friedrich Hütte. It was the first-cast iron bridge in Romania and also the first without any pylons. Because of this last fact, it was also called the bridge that lays which sounds a lot like the bridge that lies and started four legends which were passed down from generation to generation. During the winter holidays, it is decorated with an arch made of Christmas lights. And while we’re at it, make sure to add the Christmas Market near the Bridge of Lies to your bucket list, don’t worry I will tell you about it in a future article.

The legends

Number one and my personal favorite legend: the lie detector. It is said that the bridge has the power to tell if somebody is lying at the moment of crossing it and makes strange noises as if it would collapse and punish the liar. I recommend you test this one out for yourself when crossing the bridge.

Number two: the Casanova myth. The Bridge of Lies supposedly earned its name because it was a meeting place for first dates. Cadets from the military academy would meet girls and make promises which they never intended to keep. So be aware of the promises you hear, when walking on this bridge!

Number three: the horror story. Similarly to the previous legend: the young ladies in search of husbands would declare their love and swear to their virginity on the bridge. If, in the wedding night, it turned out that they lied, the brides would be thrown from the bridge as punishment.

And last and not least: the honest trader. Piața Mică (Little Square) was the center of all trade in Sibiu. The Bridge of Lies is situated at the edge of this square and rumors say that the swindling traders were unmasked in front of everybody on the bridge so no trader dared to be dishonest while trading here.

Sibiu has a lot of beautiful places but the Bridge of Lies is definitely one of its best earning its name from the legends that persevered through time. The next time you are near this bridge, remember that the locals used to avoid crossing it, being afraid that it would collapse because of the lies they told.