15 Famous Paris bridges to explore

This is my guide to the most famous Paris bridges, taking you to 15 of the best bridges along the river Seine in the heart of the French capital.

There have been bridges in Paris for over 2,000 years, and the oldest still standing, the Pont Neuf, is over 400 years old. It’s one of the best-known bridges in Paris, but some of the most beautiful Paris bridges are more recent, dating from around 1900.

I cover most of the famous Paris bridges in the city centre, between the Ile Saint-Louis in the east and the Pont de Grenelle in the west, three bridges past the Eiffel Tower. I also point you in the direction of places to see near these wonderful bridges.

There are a total of 37 bridges in Paris over the river Seine.

Most of the famous bridges in Paris in this article – with the exception of the Bir-Hakeim and Grenelle bridges – are included in the Paris Banks of the Seine UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with many of the famous buildings along the riverfront.

Bridges over the Seine have been in use since pre-Roman times, and the oldest standing bridge in Paris dates from 1607. The oldest bridges in Paris spanned the narrowest parts of the river, connecting the Ile de la Cité with the Left and Right Banks.

Several Paris bridges were built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, including those around the Louvre. Two of the best bridges in Paris – Pont Alexandre III and Bir-Hakeim – were built in the early 20th century, towards the end of the Belle Epoque period.

As well as being beautiful places to visit, these famous Paris bridges have fascinating histories, from tales of East German Stasi spies to a notorious massacre in 1961.

These are the most famous and beautiful bridges in Paris.

Possibly the most beautiful bridge in Paris, Pont Alexandre III is stunning.  Built for the 1900 World’s Fair (Exposition Universelle), it evokes the Belle Epoque, with its ornate Art Nouveau lamps and statues of nymphs and cherubim.

It is a magnificent sight, and also one of the best viewpoints in Paris, with the golden dome of the Invalides and the Eiffel Tower visible from it.

The Pont Alexandre III is named after Tsar Alexander III, underlining a military alliance between France and Russia at the time. Ironically this most extravagant of bridges is named after a man who had little time for such artistic frippery, who preferred to emphasise his ordinariness rather than taking much interest in the arts.

Nearest Metro: Invalides (lines 8 and 13, and RER line C) or Champs-Elysees-Clemenceau (lines 1 and 13)

The Pont Neuf, despite its name (which means ‘new bridge’) is the oldest of our famous Paris bridges.  It’s not the oldest crossing (see the Petit Pont below) but the oldest continuously standing bridge. It’s also one of the most beautiful bridges in Paris, especially when lit at night.

The Pont Neuf Paris bridge spans the Seine in two sections – from the Right Bank to the Ile de la Cité and again from the island to the Left Bank. It crosses the island at one of its narrowest points. If you want to see the full length of the Pont Neuf you need to walk onto the next bridge downstream, the Pont des Arts.

Work started on the Pont Neuf in 1578, and it took until 1607 to complete this handsome stone arched bridge.  It was rebuilt in the mid-19^th century, and the original mascarons – stone heads – were replaced, and some can be seen in the Musée Carnavalet in the nearby Marais district.

A large equestrian statue of King Henri IV stands on the island between the two sections of the Pont Neuf.  What we see now is a replacement, the original having been destroyed during the French Revolution.  Just behind the statue there are two steep staircases leading to the Square du Vert Galant, one of the most romantic parks in Paris. 

Nearest Metro: Pont Neuf (line 7)

The Pont des Arts bridge in Paris is one of the most romantic in the city. It’s also one of the most recent of our famous Paris bridges – I saw it being rebuilt in 1982, on my first visit to the city as we drove from Notre Dame to the Louvre.  

Also known as the Passerelle des Arts, it has only ever been a footbridge. It was completed in 1804 when Napoleon Bonaparte was still in power, and lasted until 1979, when it collapsed after one of many boats crashed into it.

The new Pont des Arts Paris is as elegant as its predecessor. It was built by Louis Arretche (whose previous project had been the amazing Church of St Joan of Arc in Rouen, Normandy) between 1981 and 1984. Arretche did not follow the original design, opting to have seven arches instead of nine.

The Pont des Arts has a particularly beautiful setting, with the Louvre to the north and the domed Institut de France to the south.

This beautiful bridge has amazing views, with the Ile de la Cité in one direction and the Eiffel Tower in the other. It’s undoubtedly one of the most romantic bridges in Paris, and a tradition began around 2008 whereby couples would leave a ‘love lock’ on the bridge, locking it to the parapet and throwing the key into the Seine.

However, the immense weight of the locks – it’s believed there were up to a million – was causing structural problems, ultimately causing a section of the parapet to collapse. Leaving love locks has since been actively discouraged!

Nearest Metro: Louvre-Rivoli (line 1)

Originally known as the Pont de Passy (after the suburb on the east side of the Seine), the Pont de Bir-Hakeim is, for me, a contender for the accolade of most beautiful bridge in Paris along with the Pont Alexandre III.

I’ve always thought it has an exotic beauty about it. Bir Hakeim bridge is unusual in that it is on two levels. The lower level is for road traffic and pedestrians, and the second level, held up by a gorgeous, elegant steel colonnade either side of the central archway, carries line 6 of the Paris Metro.

The Bir-Hakeim Bridge was named after a battle in Libya in 1942, when Free French forces fought a rearguard action against General Rommel’s Afrika Korps. Although Rommel’s forces were to eventually capture Tobruk, the heroic fight of the French meant that the Germans had to postpone plans to attack Malta and French morale received a huge boost.

I think Bir-Hakeim bridge is one of the most beautiful locations in Paris. The views through the colonnade to the Eiffel Tower are among the best you’ll find anywhere in the city.

Also take a look at the northern side of the bridge, where a striking statue, France Renaissante, points your gaze back upstream to the Eiffel Tower. Unquestionably ione of the best hidden gems in Paris.    

Nearest Metro: Bir-Hakeim (line 6) or Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel (RER line C)

Relatively few visitors make it as far downriver as the Pont de Grenelle. It’s beyond the reach of the majority of Paris boat trips, and the sights thin out by this stage as well. The most compelling reason to visit the Pont de Grenelle is to see the most famous replica of the Statue of Liberty in Paris. It’s located beneath the south side of the bridge, on the narrow man-made island Ile aux Cygnes, which stretches as far as the next bridge, the Bir-Hakeim Bridge.  

The bridge was rebuilt in 1966, replacing the original which had been there since 1873.  In 2016 it was renamed the Pont de Grenelle – Cadets de Saumur, after students at the Saumur Cavalry School who made a brave stand against Nazi invaders in June 1940. 

The best view of the Statue of Liberty is from the next bridge downstream, the Pont Mirabeau – from there you see Lady Liberty beneath the most famous Paris icon of all, the Eiffel Tower.

Nearest Metro: Javel-Andre Citroen (line 10 or RER line C)

One of only three pedestrian bridges in Paris, the Passerelle Debilly was built for the 1900 World’s Fair, providing an additional crossing over the Seine to the exhibition grounds. 

It consists of a single metal through-arch and was designed by architect Louis-Jean Résal. Remarkably he also contributed to the design of the Pont Alexandre III, two bridges upstream.

The two bridges are vastly different in style – when I first walked across this footbridge in the late 1980s I assumed it had been built in the previous 20-30 years. I’d suggest it looks fairly modern even now, so it was a great many years ahead of its time.

The Passerelle Debilly was also a regular rendezvous point during the Cold War, particularly for spies from the former East Germany (GDR).  It’s hard to imagine it now, standing there enjoying one of the best Eiffel Tower views in the city, but Stasi agents would have stood there too, the ‘sword and shield’ of the Socialist regime. One of their number was found dead on the Debilly bridge a few days after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Nearest Metro: Iena (line 9)

The Pont de l’Alma – named after a battle fought during the Crimean War in 1854 – was built shortly afterwards, and remained in place for over a century. It was eventually replaced by the wider present structure in the early 1970s.

The bridge’s most intriguing feature is the statue of the Zouave, a French infantryman, which acts as an unofficial flood marker when water levels are high. If the water rises above his knees, the river needs to be closed to all vessels.

It has become one of the most famous bridges in Paris because of its proximity to the location where Diana, Princess of Wales was killed in a car accident in 1997. The accident occurred in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel on the north side (Rive Droite) of the river when the driver of her vehicle lost control of it.

The Flame of Liberty, a full-size replica of the original in New York City, stands close to the site of her fatal accident. It was installed ten years before her death, but has become a de facto memorial to her over the ensuing years. The square next to the Flame has since been renamed Place Diana.

Nearest Metro: Alma-Marceau (line 9) or Pont de l’Alma (RER line C)

The Pont de la Concorde is the busiest of the famous Paris bridges we describe, carrying much of  the swarm of traffic that sweeps across the Place de la Concorde every couple of minutes.

It’s another fine arched Parisian bridge, partly constructed with stones from the Bastille prison whose destruction on 14^th July 1789 marked the beginning of the French Revolution. It had been started two years before in 1787, and was completed in 1789.

Napoleon Bonaparte insisted on erecting statues of famous French generals on either side of the bridge, and these were later replaced with twelve different figures. These proved too weighty for the bridge, and they were eventually removed to Versailles.

Nearest Metro: Concorde (line 1)

The Pont Royal (Royal Bridge) is the third oldest bridge in Paris, built between 1685 and 1689 to link the Louvre and Tuileries Gardens with the Quai de Flore and the Musée d’Orsay on the Left Bank.

It was financed by King Louis XIV , and replaced an earlier ill-fated wooden construction which suffered numerous catastrophic mishaps during its few decades history.

It’s one of the most graceful of the Seine river bridges in Paris – try to see it towards sunset or lit up at night to appreciate it most.

Nearest Metro: Tuileries (line 1) or Musee d’Orsay RER line C.

The next bridge upstream is the Pont du Carrousel, a triple-arched bridge linking the Louvre with Quai Voltaire. It’s also close to the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, from which it gets its name.

This famous Paris bridge was originally built between 1831 and 1834, from cast iron and timber. However,  the deterioration of the wooden components of the bridge – and the fact that the bridge was too narrow to hold traffic in both directions – led to the decision to replace it with a new concrete structure in 1930.

The new Pont du Carrousel was built a few metres from the original to allow more height for passing river traffic. Some of its original features, including the four corner statues of the Seine, Paris, Industry and Abundance, were retained.

Nearest Metro: Louvre-Rivoli (line 1) is 500 metres away.  Buses 69 and 72 run along the north side of the river, while the 27, 39, 87 and 95 services stop on the Left Bank (south side).

The Pont Saint Michel links the Place Saint Michel and Latin Quarter with the Ile de la Cité. It’s a picturesque stone arched bridge with a wonderful view of the twin towers of the west front of Notre Dame.

The first crossing at this location was completed in 1387, and after structural damage was later, surprisingly, replaced by a wooden bridge. This didn’t last either, and another stone bridge was added in the early 17^th century. This in turn was replaced by the present bridge was completed in 1857.

Pont Saint Michel has perhaps the saddest history of all famous Paris bridges, as it was the scene of the 1961 Paris Massacre. Many protesters, mainly Algerians, were killed on the bridge by brutal police. Some were beaten to death, while many others were forced over the parapets of the Pont Saint Michel into the river, where they drowned.

Pont Saint Michel leads to Boulevard du Palais, the location of the Palais de Justice and another of the most famous churches in Paris, La Sainte Chapelle.

Nearest Metro: Saint Michel – Notre Dame (line 4) or RER line C.

Pont Notre Dame bridge may be the siter of the very first river crossing in Paris connecting the Rive Droite (Right Bank, or north side of river) with the Ile de la Cité. It’s possible that a bridge was there even before the arrival of the Romans, and the latter built a stone bridge which lasted until 886 AD. This ancient bridge was known as the Grand Pont (‘Large bridge’).

Several iterations of the bridge followed over the ensuing millennium. Houses lined the bridge until the mid-18^th century when they were demolished, partly because they were a health hazard.

The 19^th century version proved to be quite a capable hazard all by itself, causing 35 accidents in less than 20 years.  This led to the decision to replace it with the present metal version, which was completed in 1919.

Nearest Metro:  Hotel de Ville (lines 1 and 11)

The ‘Small Bridge’ is indeed smallest of our famous Paris bridges, and has a long, eventful history. It is believed to have originated in Roman times, when Paris was known as Lutetia Parisiorum, linking the Ile de la Cite with the Left Bank.

The Petit Pont has been disaster-prone, having been repeatedly destroyed by floodwaters and, in one case, fire.

The present single-arch stone bridge dates from 1853, and it forms part of one of the best views in Paris, with the west towers of Notre Dame Cathedral behind the bridge.

It leads onto Rue de la Cite on the island, which in turn continues to the Pont Notre Dame (see above) on the north side of the island. On the Left Bank it leads onto Rue du Petit Pont and the Latin Quarter, with the churches of Saint Severin and St Julien le Pauvre within a two-minute walk of the bridge.

Nearest Metro: Saint-Michel Notre Dame line 4 or RER line C.

The Pont St-Louis is probably the most utilitarian and least glamorous of our famous Paris bridges, but it’s well worth taking the time to walk across it at least once.

The footbridge links the two islands in the centre of Paris, the Ile de la Cité and the Ile Saint Louis. As with many of our bridges in Paris, there have been several earlier bridges on the same site. The original crossing, the Pont Landry, was built in 1630.

Quai d’Orleans, on Ile Saint-Louis, is one of the most romantic streets in Paris, with handsome Parisian townhouses on one side and one of the best views of Notre Dame on the other.

Nearest Metro: Cite (line 4)

The Pont de la Tournelle is a stone arched bridge connecting the Ile Saint Louis and the Left Bank. It’s also one of the best viewpoints in Paris, with a stunning view of Notre Dame, which looks incredible at sunset and dusk, especially in summer.

The first bridge on the site was completed in 1620, but a familiar tale of natural disasters followed – ice and flooding among them. The 1654 version of the bridge lasted until 1918, and was replaced by the present structure in 1928.

The most prominent feature on the bridge is the statue of St Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris buried nearby in Saint Etienne du Mont Church. The ‘tournelle’ in the bridge’s name is most likely derived from ‘tourelle’, a square tower on a long-gone medieval fortress close to the river.

Nearest Metro: Cardinal Lemoine (line 10), Pont Marie or Sully-Morland (both line 7) are all around five minutes’ walk away.