Ah, Paris, the city of lights, the city of love, the city of romance. So many things this city is known for, and one of those (used to be) the so-called “Love Lock Bridge” on the Pont des Arts across from the Louvre. In recent years, lovers had taken to the bridge to express their commitment to each other (and also great photos and cheesy movie scenes) by locking an etched padlock onto the bridge and throwing the key into the River Seine. Now, of course, being someone who’s in a long-term relationship, I thought a few times about bringing a lock and reenacting said cheesy movie scene on behalf of myself and my significant other, but after some fair points were made, that he wouldn’t really be there and therefore wouldn’t really count, we decided against it. And it’s a good thing we did.
It’s not that I went out scouring for the bridge, I actually happened to find it by accident on one of my first days here, and it was not at all what I was expecting. After some research, I learned that three or four years ago, worried that the weight of hundreds of thousands of locks were going to collapse the bridge more than it already had, a campaign was started to discourage visitors from adding more weight to the bridge. It didn’t take very long for higher-ups to recognize that this was indeed a problem, and soon began the removal of the love lock bridge at the Pont des Arts.
(It doesn’t seem like the same bridge does it?) The once chicken-wire style gates have now been replaced with truss style gates, which are almost impossible to chain padlocks too. On top of that, a sort of plexiglass has been added on the pedestrian side of the gates to REALLY deter people.
Nevertheless, love persists, and visitors still look for every opportunity to be included in the tradition. Yes, there are almost a dozen other bridges that go over the Seine, but this is Pont des Arts, the birthplace of the fad. Even today (all previous photos were taken today), vendors on the banks still sell locks and permanent markers to people who happen to wander by.
As someone who’s admired Paris for years, and again, as someone who’s in a long-term relationship, I was a bit disappointed about not being able to see this world-famous bridge. Ok, I saw the bridge, but not in the romantic way it’s been portrayed in movies and on Parks and Rec (no judging my memory trigger, this is my blog). However, it is still a great bridge with a beautiful view of the Seine, and nothing will ever change that. Also, the preservation of a bridge from the Napoleonic rule should take priority.
That being said, if you’re desperate for some love lock-ing, head up to the Sacré Cœur at Montmartre, the bridges surrounding the church are covered in locks. Plus, you get that amazing view of Paris for free. What’s not to love (lock)?
It is pretty amazing at how persistent tourists can be, just to put a lock on a bridge.
It’s always interesting to see how internet trends and preservation issues collide. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it poses some interesting questions about how to go about handling a trend that is harming a historic structure without doscouraging any heritage tourism to that area.