Pont des Roches, Bridge in Metz, France
Pont des Roches is a stone arch bridge built in 1739 in Metz, France, spanning the Moselle River and connecting Quai Paul Vautrin to the Place de la Comédie on the Petit-Saulcy island. Traffic flows in one direction only, from the quay toward the Place de la Comédie, while the opposite lane is reserved for buses.
The bridge was built in 1739 on the initiative of Marshal de Belle-Isle, who wanted to connect the marshy island of Petit-Saulcy to the city center as part of a broader urban development project. It was one of four bridges built at that time for this purpose.
The name "Roches" comes from the old neighborhood built directly on the foundations of the Roman city walls, which looked like rocks to the workers who once dug there. Both the neighborhood and the bridge eventually took on this name, and it is still used today.
Pedestrians can cross the bridge at any time and get a clear view of the Moselle and the surrounding old buildings along the way. On the northern side, a staircase leads down to the small Place des Roches and to the Rue des Roches, which runs along the riverbank.
On the northern side of the bridge once stood a large building that housed the Bains des Roches, public baths for women that made the area a popular spot for years. That building is still standing today and is the only one on the street that still faces the water.
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