The entire UNESCO World Heritage district is endangered by love locks," Anselmo said in an email. Megan and Rob Easley from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, sealed their love with a lock on the bridge commemorating their 2009 wedding date. The legend goes that a woman who had lost her lover during World War I started fixing padlocks on bridges where they used to meet. Ironically, several local Parisians are against the love lock tradition since they believe that it ruins the visual appeal of their city.
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Our followers are clamoring for that because they are fed up with what's happening to their city.". (Photo: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty Images), The Ile de la Cite and another bridge, the Pont Neuf, appear through the lock-free railings of the Pont des Arts in Paris on June 1, 2015. For Love Locks Lovebirds putting their padlocks in Paris is a grand gesture embodying their eternal love. Pont Alexandre III. But officials have said the padlocks, which weigh a whopping 45 tons in total, are damaging the historic bridge as well as posing a danger to visitors. The city of Paris started removing padlocks from the Pont des Arts on Monday, effectively ending the tourist tradition of attaching "love locks" to the bridge. A young couple attaching a Love Lock. Couples inscribe their names on padlocks, lock it on the bridge and throw the keys into the river. The problem arises when the trend goes viral and more and more amorous metal wielding tourists head for the bridges and monuments. "It's the end of the padlocks," said Paris' Deputy Mayor Bruno Julliard, according to the BBC. Here is how we have overcome recent events and improved our tours. Take a look at photos below that show the dismantling of the famous Parisian landmark: The locks are so numerous that they completely cover the bridge's sides. Paris adopted the culture from young Italian couples. Now, isn’t that romance at its best? In recent years, as a symbol of the permanence of their relationships, hundreds of thousands of couples from all over the world have attached padlocks to the city’s Pont des Arts, tossing the keys into the river Seine. The ritual symbolizes love locked forever. Sign up for exclusive offers with the latest travel news and tips: Copyright © 2020 City Wonders Limited. Unsightly wooden panels were placed over the locks in February to discourage the practice for Valentine's Day. Opening Hours may vary. "Paris will probably need to institute a ban, like Rome did, to finally get a handle on the problem. The city launched an unsuccessful initiative in August 2014 to end the practice, urging visitors to instead take selfies on the bridge.
Today is National Voter Registration Day! Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter. And in fact one couple’s Love Lock isn’t going to do much harm. The 'lock bridge' is a sort of tradition or ritual that is practiced on the bridges of the Seine River in Paris. Couples inscribe their names on padlocks, lock it on the bridge and throw the keys into the river. If you believe in eternal unbreakable union, you're going to find the Paris love lock bridge story very romantic. Covid-19 Update: We Are Back! In 2014, a portion of the railing of Paris bridge collapsed due to the weight of the padlocks, clearly showing that the railings are not meant to carry all that weight. (Photo: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty Images), Couples often write their initials on the locks before throwing the key into the river. However, Customer Service is always available at the hours detailed under "Opening Hours" section. All of our guides are experts in their field, We only hire fluent English-speakers so nothing is ever lost in translation, We focus on the little details and anecdotes that make City Wonders so special. Paris' famous "love locks" bridge is no more. No Love Locks has been urging the city to ban the practice outright. Some further seal the deal by throwing keys into the Seine River below. All Rights Reserved. Graffiti, pickpockets and vendors selling cheap padlocks also became a problem, prompting many locals to avoid the once-picturesque promenade built in the 1800s under Napoleon. Now, you can see padlocks on the Pont de l’Archevêché located near Notre Dame as well. Enjoy the unique sight of thousands of colorful locks fixed on the bridges on one of our Paris tours, and make sure you book your tour before the authorities decide to take the locks off! A 2006 Italian young adult novel-turned-film is thought to have, It was considered charming at first, but the thrill wore off as sections of fencing on the Pont des Arts crumbled under the locks' weight.