City Protectors - Lions and Saints

Lions have been for centuries a symbol of strength, security, protection, justice, good luck, you name it. The city center of Sofia (Bulgaria) as far as I could see on my visit there, has six lion statues: two  'guarding' the entrance to the Palace of Justice, and four flanking the bridge over the Vladaya river.

The Palace of Justice (the Court House) is a remarkable white building situated at the beginning of the main shopping street, Vitosha boulevard. It is considered by many an architectural masterpiece for its beautiful simplicity; it's made of white limestone and has four (4) floors, five (5)  gates and  twelve (12) columns.

Palace of Justice

the two lions at the entrance of the Jusice Court

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Lions' Bridge (Lavov Most) in Sofia, has four bronze lion figures, one on each end of the bridge. Two of them are facing the heart of the city, the other two are facing the exit of the city ( the railway/bus terminals and the mountain seen behind them). Beautiful, just beautiful!

one of the four lion figures;  facing the city 

I stayed at a small hotel in the area near the bridge , it was part of my daily routine, so I'm going to elaborate on it

The Lions'  bridge

The lovely bridge over the Vladaya river (now, in summer, a pitiful stream) with its impressive lion statues, light fixtures, benches, flower beds (all well kept), is not just a city attraction, it's much more than that. It's a concept, a strategic crossing, mainly due to its location.  It is placed at the intersection of two major boulevards: Maria Luiza blvd. and Slivnitsa blvd., between the city center and the city exit.

Vladaya river (now stream)

Nearby,  a Metro station, A Billa discount supermarket store, the main entrance to the Ladies' Open Market. The bridge is close to the Mosque, the synagogue, the Central Hall  market. One metro stop or 15 minutes on foot lead to the center;  the distance to the transport bus /railway terminals is even shorter.

the intersection: 

Metro  station

The area is favoured by tourists; there's a middle range hotel named Lion Hotel just across the bridge;  A bit further, there are two expensive hotels Ramada and Raddison, and some budget little hotels. 

Hotel Lion

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The welcoming statue of Saint Sofia (Sveta Sofia), the saint patron  of the city, is a fascinating piece of art. This bronze and copper made , tall statue, is centrally located, and at street level. So, it is visible a long way.

Sveta Sofia, in black and  gold color, both dominates and guards the city ; it has the power (crown) and wisdom (the owl in the hand) to do so. I was very impressed by its majestic presence.

statue of Sofia in the background