The Triple Bridge (Tromostovje)
The Triple Bridge is the first thing most visitors notice when they reach the square — and the thing they most often photograph wrongly. Three spans, one silhouette, one architect: here is how to read it.
Church and the square’s buildings
The Church of the Annunciation, known as the Franciscan Church, stands on the north side of the square. Slovenia’s heritage record describes its early-Baroque structure, six side chapels and interior works associated with Francesco Robba, Matevž Langus, Matej Sternen and Jože Plečnik. It remains a place of worship; check current visiting arrangements.
The Urbanc department store, designed by Fredrich Sigmundt and completed in 1903, represents the Secession-era commercial architecture around the square. Across the Ljubljanica, the Triple Bridge incorporates the 1842 bridge and two pedestrian bridges designed by Jože Plečnik in 1931–1932.
University of Ljubljana Press senior consultant Matevž Rudolf recommended this open book in his email of 6 November 2026. Edited by Katja Mahnič (2024), it grew from a University of Ljubljana art-history museology project on presenting the Church of the Annunciation. The recommendation is not a review or endorsement of this independent site.
- Architect
- Jože Plečnik
- Built
- 1931–1932, replacing an older crossing
- Spans
- Three: a wider central bridge flanked by two narrower ones
- Connects
- Prešeren Square (right bank) with Republic Square side (left bank)
- Access
- Pedestrian only, free, open at all hours
Three bridges, one silhouette
The trick to recognising Tromostovje is to stop seeing “one bridge”. There is a central, wider span that carried the main flow, and two slimmer side bridges added as pedestrian routes. From the square, the three openings line up into a single rhythmic façade of balustrades, pillars and lamps.
That triple rhythm is why the bridge looks wider than it is: you are seeing three crossings stacked side by side, all pointing at the monument behind you.
Plečnik’s design
Jože Plečnik shaped much of interwar Ljubljana, and the Triple Bridge is his most photographed move. He rebuilt the crossing in stone in 1931–1932, adding the side spans, stone balustrades and the tall lamp standards that make the bridge read as a square in miniature rather than a piece of infrastructure.
The balustrades are wide enough to lean on — and they are the classic place to watch the river and the square at the same time.
How it connects to the square
The bridge is the square’s western gate. Everything that arrives from Republic Square, the university side and the funicular to the castle passes across those three spans before entering the square. In practice, the bridge is where the square begins.
Because it is the main axis, it is also the natural start of any walking route that leaves the square — see the one-hour walk for a route that uses it.
Best views of and from the bridge
- From the square, centred on the middle span, with the church on the right.
- From the bridge looking back: the monument framed by the side bridges.
- From river level on the promenade: all three spans with the square rising behind.
- At night: the lamps reflect in the Ljubljanica — the strongest long-exposure frame in the centre.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called the Triple Bridge?
Because three parallel spans cross the river side by side — a wider central bridge and two narrower side bridges — forming one continuous crossing.
Who designed Tromostovje?
Jože Plečnik rebuilt it in stone in 1931–1932, on the site of an older bridge, adding the side spans and its distinctive balustrades.
Can cars use the Triple Bridge?
No. It is a pedestrian crossing, like the square it serves.
Where does the bridge lead?
West across the Ljubljanica towards Republic Square (Trg republike) and the old-town streets beyond; east into Prešeren Square.
Is the Triple Bridge free?
Yes — it is a public bridge in a pedestrian zone, open at all hours.
Sources: Visit Ljubljana, Ljubljana tourism material on Plečnik. Checked October 2026.