Pont des Arts, Footbridge near Institut de France, Paris, France
The Pont des Arts is a footbridge in Paris that stretches across the river and connects two historic riverbanks. The construction rests on seven metal arches and offers an open view toward both sides of the waterway.
The first iron crossing at this location appeared in the early 1800s as part of urban modernization under Napoleon. After damage from wartime impacts and boat collisions, the structure was completely rebuilt in the 1980s.
The bridge's name comes from the Louvre, called the "Palais des Arts" after the Revolution. Since late 2008 visitors have clipped love locks to the railings and thrown the keys into the Seine, a practice not French in origin; by 2015 over a million locks weighed about 45 tons. City workers began removing them in June 2015, and panels were painted by street artists Jace, El Seed, Brusk and Pantonio.
The crossing is accessible around the clock and connects the left bank with the right bank of the city. Mornings tend to be less crowded than late afternoons when strollers and street performers fill the space.
The name comes from the Louvre, called "palais des Arts" after the Revolution when it became a national museum. When the bridge was dismantled in 1980, about half of it — four arches — was bought by Nogent-sur-Marne and re-erected beside the Marne in 1992, where it can still be walked today.
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