Orlov Most (Eagles' Bridge)

Overview

Orlov Most is a bridge over the Perlovska River, located at an important and busy crossroads in the center of Sofia. Its name comes from the bronze figures of eagles on the bridge, which are its symbolic patrons and protectors.

It replaces the old bridge that existed at the time during the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria at the end of the then town of Sofia, from which the outlying road started towards  Constantinople.

The bridge was constructed by Czech architect Václav Prošek. The bronze decorative figures and the candelabra were cast in Vienna.

Many years after the Liberation of Bulgaria, the bridge serves as symbolic door of the capital - Sofia - and is among the architectural accents in the city's urban aspect. Eagles' Bridge is a symbol of free Bulgaria.

Eagles' Bridge and the junction are located in the immediate proximity of the Vasil Levski National Stadium, the Monument to the Soviet Army, the Borisova gradina park and Lake Ariana, and near Sofia University. Two main boulevards cross there – Evlogi Georgiev Boulevard, which follows the Perlovska river, and Tsarigradsko Shose, and Tsar Ivan Asen II Street terminates there. For the traffic entering Sofia from the southeast by Tsarigrad Road, Eagles' Bridge is the first junction and the point from where the city centre is accessed.

The bridge was built from stone at the place of an older bridge called Sharen Most ("Motley Bridge") because it was decorated with red and yellow stripes. 

After the fall of the Communist regime in 1898, Eagle Bridge has often become a favorite place for demonstrations and protests.