Welcome to my guide to the Pont des Arts Paris, one of the most romantic bridges in the city with some of the best views in Paris.
The bridge, also known as the Passerelle des Arts, was famous for a few years because of the tradition of placing love locks on its parapets. These have been removed as their weight was damaging the bridge’s structure, but the Parisian romance is as strong as ever at this amazing spot on the Seine.
My guide to the Pont des Arts shows you what there is to see there, the views from it, its history and how to get there. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.
Why Visit the Pont des Arts Paris
The Pont des Arts bridge is one of the most famous Paris bridges, a beautiful ornate footbridge in a prime spot between the Louvre and Institut de France.
The views from the Pont des Arts are incomparable, looking to either end of the bridge, down the Seine or back upstream to the Pont Neuf, the Île de la Cité and towers of Notre Dame de Paris.
Pont des Arts is part of the Paris Banks of the Seine UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most beautiful locations along it.
Although the Paris bridge of locks tradition is no more, the Pont des Arts is still one of the most romantic places in Paris, and has featured in many movies including Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s classic Amélie.
It’s also one of the best places to watch sunset in Paris.
Pont des Arts Paris History
The Pont des Arts in Paris was first built between 1801 and 1804 by Louis-Alexandre de Cessart and Jacques Dillon, commissioned by the government of Napoleon Bonaparte.
It was the first metal bridge to be constructed in Paris, and was named after the Louvre, which was known as the Palais des Arts at the time.
According to some accounts it was inspired the first iron bridge in the world at Ironbridge in Shropshire, England, which was built in 1779.
The Pont des Arts was only ever a footbridge, and at first pedestrians had to pay a one sou (5 centimes) toll to cross it.
The bridge was extensively modified in the 1850s, with steel replacing the original cast iron arches.
Over the following 130 years the Pont des Arts suffered significant damage through a combination of wartime bombing, and boats colliding. It collapsed after a collision in 1979, and was rebuilt by architect Louis Arretche between 1981 and 1984. As a result of this, the number of arches was reduced from nine to seven. I saw the bridge being built during my first visit to Paris in 1982.
Around 2008 visitors began leaving love locks on the Pont des Arts. As a way of signifying their commitment and love for each other, couples would lock a padlock to the metal parapet of the bridge and throw the key into the Seine. This phenomenon went viral, with up to 700,000locks on the bridge by 2015.
Sadly the structural integrity of the love bridge in Paris, as it became known, was dangerously compromised by the weight of so many padlocks, so the decision was made to remove all the Pont des Arts love locks. Paris city authorities encouraged visitors to take selfies instead.
What To See At The Pont Des Arts
The Pont des Arts is one of the most elegant and beautiful bridges in Paris, and it’s well worth taking the time to see it from a distance. One of the best places from which you can view it is the corner of the Pont Neuf on the Right Bank. This is especially wonderful at sunset, and offers one of the best Eiffel Tower views in the city.
You also get one of the best 360-degree views in Paris from the Pont des Arts, with the Louvre to the north, the Pont du Carrousel to the west, the Institut de France to the south and the Île de la Cité and Notre Dame to the east.
Another way to see and appreciate the Pont des Arts Paris is from below – ideally on a Paris sunset cruise. The boat passes underneath the Pont des Arts, and from there you get the best view of the delicate metalwork that makes the bridge so graceful.
The Pont des Arts is especially beautiful at sunset, with the warm late light on the bridge and surrounding buildings.
It’s also well worth stopping for a while, sitting on one of the benches in the middle of the bridge and watching Paris go by. You’ll often find musicians and entertainers on the Pont des Arts as well.
Where Is The Pont des Arts Paris
The Pont des Arts is in the centre of Paris, linking the 1st and 6th arrondissements.
The Palais du Louvre, housing the world-famous Louvre Museum, is on the north side of the river (the right bank, or rive droite).
The domed Institut de France building is on the south side of the river (the left bank, or rive gauche).
The bridge upstream from the Pont des Arts is the Pont Neuf Paris, and the next bridge downstream is the Pont du Carrousel.
How To Get To The Pont des Arts Paris
It’s very easy to get to the Pont des Arts because of its central location.
The two nearest Metro stations to Pont des Arts are on the north side of the river Seine. Pont Neuf Metro station is on line 7 (the pink line on the Paris Metro map) and is less than five minutes’ walk from the Pont des Arts. Take the Quai du Louvre exit from the station and turn right towards the bridge.
Louvre-Rivoli Metro station is a short distance away, on line 1 of the Metro – useful if you’re heading there from the Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde or Tuileries Garden. It’s on the corner of Rue de Rivoli and Rue de l’Admiral de Coligny. Walk past Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois church, cross the road and turn right to the Pont des Arts footbridge.
Buses stop close to the Pont des Arts Paris on each side of the river. On the left bank (south side) the 27 and 87 stop at Pont des Arts Quai de Conti, travelling from east to west, from the Île de la Cité in the direction of the Musée d’Orsay and Invalides.
On the right bank, buses travel in the opposite direction (west to east, from the Louvre towards the Île de la Cité). The 27, 69 and 72 buses stop at Pont des Arts, a few metres away from the northern end of the bridge.
What To See Near The Pont des Arts Paris
As it’s so close – around 300 metres away – it makes sense to visit Pont Neuf, the oldest surviving bridge in Paris, at the same time as the Pont des Arts. The older stone bridge crosses the Seine in two spans, from the right bank to the Île de la Cité, and then from the island to the left bank.
While there, pause for a few moments to look at the equestrian statue of King Henri IV, known as the Vert Galant (he was a bit of a womanizer, apparently) before descending the stone steps to the small triangular park named after him, the Square du Vert Galant.
This is one of the most romantic gardens in Paris, where people gather in the warmer months for a picnic and bottle of wine, or perhaps sit on the riverbank. It’s also a great sunset spot, looking back downstream towards the Pont des Arts.
You could spend the best part of a day exploring the Île de la Cité. It’s best-known as the location of two of the most famous churches in Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral and La Sainte Chapelle Paris. It’s one of the most beautiful stretches of the river Seine, particularly with the views of Notre Dame and the traditional bouquinistes selling their books and art from their riverside stalls.
The Left Bank also beckons, with enough things to do in the Latin Quarter alone to keep you busy for a couple of days or more. It’s little more than a five-minute walk from the Pont des Arts to Saint Germain des Prés Church, which can lay a strong claim to being the oldest church in Paris. The surrounding area has traditionally been the intellectual powerhouse of Paris, and the nearby Aux Deux Magots, Café de Flore and Brasserie Lipp were all famous meeting places for the great minds of the early and mid-20th century.
It’s not far from there to the second-largest church in the city, Saint-Sulpice, a fine Neoclassical and Baroque edifice worth going out of your way to see the three Delacroix paintings in one of the chapels on the south aisle.
You can also walk the short distance – around 500 metres – from the Pont des Arts to the Musée d’Orsay, one of the best art museums in Paris with one of the finest Impressionist collections in the world.
Across the river on the Right Bank, the Louvre Museum is one of the must see attractions in Paris, somewhere you could return time after time. I certainly have, and there’s still plenty I am yet to see.
Pont des Arts Paris – Final Thoughts
If you’re planning a romantic break in Paris, the Pont des Arts is one of the best places to go. A stroll there and to the Pont Neuf and Square du Vert Galant makes for a wonderful romantic evening – Paris at its most beautiful. And the view from the Pont des Arts to the Île de la Cité is unforgettable.
David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times. David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.