One of the most beautiful and romantic European cities, Paris, can be safely called the city of bridges. After all, there are neither more nor less of them here, but as many as 37. And if not for them, then the Seine River, dividing Paris into 2 parts, would become a serious obstacle not only for tourists, but also for the Parisians themselves. The bridges were built in different eras, which, accordingly, affected their appearance. It is difficult to find a bridge in Paris that looks like another. And each bridge certainly has its own story, amazing and unique... I'll tell you about some of them:
1. The famous Parisian bridge- new bridge"Oddly enough, but (Pont Neuf) is one of the oldest bridges in Paris. The new bridge crosses the spit of the island of Cité and consists of two parts, where one axis is not an exact continuation of the other. The southern part of the bridge has 5 spans, the northern one has 7 Its construction began under Henry III in 1578, and ended already under Henry IV in 1606. In its middle part, the New Bridge rests on two islands, European and Patriarchal, where a square with an equestrian monument to Henry IV was built a little later. Unlike other bridges of that time, the Pont Neuf was not built up with houses and had sidewalks for pedestrians.For many decades, the Pont Neuf was one of the busiest places in Paris: on both sides of it there were temporary shops and booths that disappeared only in the 19th century. But still Pont Neuf favorite place meetings and walks of Parisians and guests of the capital. This is the most romantic bridge in Paris, connecting the right and left banks of the Seine with the western part of the Ile de la Cité. 
2. The Pont au Change Bridge, built in the 9th century under King Charles the Bald, connects the right bank of the Seine with the island of Cite. In medieval times, this bridge was chosen by numerous shopkeepers and money changers. It was the main financial artery of the French capital. The bridge was so densely built up with rows of shops that it looked more like a flea market, and the Parisians walking along it simply did not see the river. At the end of the 18th century, shops and houses were demolished. The bridge acquired its current appearance during the Second Empire and since then it has not changed. 
3. Bridge Saint-Michel (Pont St.Michael), built under Napoleon III. It is decorated with the emperor's monogram. The boulevard Saint-Michel begins from the bridge, leading to the Latin Quarter.
4. Bridge Notre Dame (Pont Notre-Dame)
In 52 BC. The Romans came to these lands. locals, defending themselves from the enemy, they destroyed the access routes to the island - they burned the bridges. However, this measure had a short-term effect, and the city was soon conquered. Active construction began on the City, during which the Small Bridge was revived from wood, and Notre Dame from stone. The next important stage in the life of bridges came in 886, after the siege of the city by the Normans. Petit Pont was demolished by the waters of the overflowing Seine, and it was rebuilt, and Notre Dame, damaged during the hostilities, was replaced by a new Pont au Change bridge built downstream. It was last reconstructed in the 19th century. Now he was chosen by rollers. And numerous tourists rushing to the famous Notre Dame Cathedral on the bridge are waiting for an army of caricaturists, caricaturists and just artists. 
5. Pedestrian bridge O Double (Pont au Double) 
6. The Pont des Arts was the first railway bridge across the Seine, built in 1802. It connects the buildings of the French Academy with the Louvre, and is very popular with tourists. Pont des Arts was captured by many famous French artists, including Auguste Renoir, Nicolas de Stael. The Bridge of the Arts is for pedestrians only. No one bothers tourists on it. Therefore, many, having spread a newspaper, simply arrange a snack right on the bridge. 
7. D two-level bridge Bir-Akeim (Pont de Bir-Hakeim) is quite unusual. The subway was also built along it (the upper level is reserved for trains), and cars pass, and people pass. It was built in 1949 according to the project of G. Eiffel, and the Bir-Akeim bridge was named after the place in Libya, where in 1942 a battle took place between the French and German troops. On the east side of the bridge, Wederkinch's sculptural work "France Reborn" is displayed. From the Bir-Akeim bridge begins the Swan (or Swan) Island, which stretches along the Seine in a narrow strip. The bridge offers a beautiful view of the Swan Alley. 
8. Bridge Tournelle (Pont de la Tournelle) connects the island of Saint-Louis with the left bank of the Seine. It was built in 1651 on the site wooden bridge The king who has stood here since 1370. The bridge is crowned with a statue of Saint Genevieve, who saved Paris from the Huns. 
9. Austerlitz Bridge (Pont d "Austerlitz) The length of the bridge, located between Maza Square and the Austerlitz and St. Bernard embankments, is 200 m, width - 32 m. It was opened on March 5, 1807 and named after the victory won by the army of Napoleon I over the Russian and Austrian troops near the village of Austerlitz on December 2, 1805. The names of French military leaders killed in the battle of Austerlitz are engraved on the ornaments decorating the bridge.In 1815, at the request of the allies who occupied Paris, the bridge was renamed the Royal (Jardin du Roi ), but this name was not adopted by the Parisians.In 1830, the bridge officially received its original name again. 
10. The remarkable bridge of Sully. In the Russian tradition of abbreviation of doubled consonants, sometimes it is called the Syuli bridge. In the original language, the name sounds like Le pont de Sully. The Pont Sully in Paris connects the Île Saint-Louis, or Île Saint-Louis, with both banks of the River Seine. The design was named after the Duke of Sully, who was the head of the French government under Henry IV. If you walk from the Boulevard Saint-Germain on the bridge, and then following the Boulevard Henry IV, you get to Place de la Bastille. The photo shows one of the parts of the bridge. 
11. Metro bridge did not find the name. 
12. Bercy Bridge. It was built between 1831 and 1832, during the reign of Louis Philippe. Since its existence, this bridge, 175 meters long and 40 meters wide, has undergone many reconstructions and changes. As planned, the bridge was supposed to become a kind of entrance and exit from the city itself. But due to the fact that Paris was constantly growing, as a result, it became a link between the left and right banks of the city. In 1992, thanks to the architectural skill of Christian Langlois, the Bercy bridge was extended by three additional lanes and is now used by the 6th metro line. 
13. Bridge Tolbyak (Pont de Tolbiac). 
14. Pont Alexandre III (Pont Alexandre III), perhaps the most impressive and elegant in Paris, leads from the Champs Elysees on the Right Bank to Les Invalides on the left. The decoration of this building, containing figures of pegasi, angels and nymphs, is made in a playful and at the same time noble eclectic Beaux Arts style, combining best traditions French Baroque and Italian Renaissance. The luxurious Pont Alexandre III, named after the Russian emperor, was founded by Nicholas II in 1896 in honor of the Franco-Russian alliance and opened on the eve of the beginning world exhibition 1900. 
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As you know, Paris was born on a small island on the Seine River and it was from here that it began. Therefore, the first crossings in Paris connected the island of Cité with the right and left banks of the Seine. At first they were built of wood, but later they were converted into stone ones, and many were even built up with buildings. The history of the inhabited bridges in Paris is not very simple. The first shops of artisans and merchants appeared already in the XII century, and by the XV century on the bridge of Notre Dame (Pont Notre-Dame) one could see the first houses and shops. Thanks to them, he quickly became shopping mall cities. However, by order of the king in 1786, all the buildings were demolished from the bridge.
New bridge (pont Neuf) is in fact the oldest surviving one. Its construction began at the end of the 16th century, when there were already 4 river crossings in Paris, but they could not cope with the ever-increasing traffic. He was needed in order to defuse the situation on the Menalny and the Notre Dame bridge. The peculiarity of this viaduct at that time was that there were no buildings on it.
This, in turn, aroused the indignation of the merchants, who were accustomed to seeing bridges in paris lined with shops and residential buildings. Undoubtedly, this building is one of the symbols of the city, for which it was repeatedly mentioned in the works of artists and writers.
Bridge Changer (Pont de Change), in its place, as well as in the place of most crossings in the center of Paris, in the 9th century there was originally a wooden structure. Subsequently, around 1638, a stone bridge was built, on which there were about 140 houses and more than 100 trade shops of money changers, for which it was named so.
The royal building contract stated that, all buildings must correspond and fit each other, all structures must be of the same material and be on the same level. As a result, all buildings on the bridge looked like two rows of identical houses with shops and shops on the ground floor, which opened onto a narrow street between them.
By the time the first iron railway appeared in Paris Bridge of the Arts (Pont des Arts), inhabited bridges already had a reputation for being unsanitary, dangerous, and unaesthetic. This viaduct, built in 1801-1804 by order of Emperor Napoleon, is now a pedestrian one.
Therefore, many passersby stop here just to have a bite to eat or sit on a bench, because the view from the building and the place itself has extraordinary beauty. This crossing also connects the French Academy, and since the Louvre used to be called the Palace of Arts, the bridge began to be called accordingly.
Alexander III Bridge (Pont Alexandre III) is directly related to Russia. It was built in 1896-1900 in honor of the military alliance between France and Russia. And it was named after the father of Emperor Nicholas II, Alexander III, who, during construction, himself laid one of the stones in the foundation of the structure.
Many consider this one to be the most chic in Paris. And indeed, even from afar, the building sparkles with gilded figures located on four 17-meter columns and at the same time impresses with its lightness, because the bridge is single-span.
Concorde Bridge (Pont Concorde) famous for being built from the stone remains of the ruined one and in honor of this it was first called the bridge of the Revolution.
Now it bears the name on the right bank of the Seine, which it connects to the Bourbon Palace on the left bank. Today, this bridge in Paris is in first place in terms of traffic.
So, the history and development of Paris is inextricably linked with its bridges, of which there are 38 only within the boulevard rings. And any tourist can be happy to spend more than one day studying and contemplating only bridges of paris.
Paris, the world capital of fashion, fragrances, wine, the most delicious pastries and cheeses, was founded on the River Seine. From time immemorial, bridges have been built across the Seine. At first they were wooden, later stone, and even built-up buildings (commercial and residential). The development of the city is inextricably linked with bridges, of which there are about 38 today.
Initially, it was a wooden structure that arose in the 9th century as a crossing for the central part of Paris. Later, in the 17th century, the bridge (viaduct) was replaced with a stone one. characteristic feature This building was the presence of about 140 residential buildings and over 100 shops of merchants and money changers, for which the bridge got its name. This viaduct is very well described in the work of P. Suskind "Perfumer". 
This is one of the oldest architectural monuments of the city, which was founded in the 16th century by King Henry III. The main purpose of this structure was to unload the bridge Changer and Notre Dame. This viaduct is considered a kind of symbol of the decline of the Middle Ages, and no additional buildings are provided for on it. 
This crossing is also quite ancient. The project of a wooden building was developed in 1605 by the architect Christophe Marie. The bridge was later named after him. But as a result of the flood of 1658, the crossing was practically destroyed, it was restored from stone, and this building has survived to this day. 
Royal Bridge (Royal)
Included in the trio oldest bridges cities. The construction of the crossing was carried out from 1685 to 1689 under the patronage of King Louis XIV.
When, at the beginning of the 19th century, wooden and stone bridges were recognized as unsanitary, life-threatening and unaesthetic, Napoleon ordered the construction of the first iron bridge. This crossing connected the French Academy and the Louvre Museum (formerly the Palace of Arts), hence its name. is pedestrian: from here you can enjoy the beauty of the city, as well as relax on a bench, or have a bite to eat in a small eatery. And couples in love also consider it the most romantic place in Paris, so they come here to install locks as a symbol of their love. 
This building is considered very symbolic: it was built from the remains of the stone Bastille. At first, the bridge was called the Revolution, but was later renamed in honor of one of the city squares. Today it is one of the most frequently used crossings in Paris. 
The Bercy ferry was originally built in 1832. Then it was outside the city limits, and the passage through it was taxed. In 1864, a new bridge was erected, which in many respects repeated the design of the old one, but was oversized, reinforced supports and fasteners. 
In the original, the crossing was called Solferino and was built in honor of the victory of the allied forces of France and Italy over Austria. The bridge was opened in 1861 by Emperor Napoleon III. But over time, the building collapsed, and a new viaduct was erected in its place, which was named the first president of Senegal. 
This is another symbolic building of Paris. It was timed to coincide with the victory of the French and their allies over Russia in the Battle of the Alma River (Crimean War). The bridge is also known for a tragic event: Princess Diana died in a car accident in the tunnel under it. The torch "Flame of Freedom" is located there, which since that unfortunate moment has become a kind of memorial to the princess and a place of pilgrimage for many of her admirers. 
This footbridge, built in 2006, connects the 12th and 13th arrondissement of Paris. This crossing is considered an ingenious technical construction, because it has the shape of an eye. 
This crossing, thanks to openwork metal structures, has a very elegant shape. Three arches are harmoniously connected to each other, and they are decorated with 4 statues cast in bronze (one of them symbolizes Paris, the second - Navigation, the third - Commerce, and the fourth - Abundance). The poet Guillaume Apollinaire dedicated one of his works to this bridge. 
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Once upon a time, the Pont Neuf bridge was created in order to solve the problem of congestion by expanding the number of crossings over the Seine. By our time, the rest of the structures that existed at that time were rebuilt, and the New Bridge became the oldest in the city.
Pont Neuf - "New Bridge" - opened in 1607, length 232 m, width 22 m
The name "Pont Neuf" (Pont Neuf) is translated from French as "New Bridge", which fully corresponded to the realities of the time of its construction. The Pont Neuf, passing through the western edge of the island, connects the quay on the right bank with the quai de Conti and the Grands Augustin on the left. This crossing over the Seine was the fifth in French capital. Surprisingly, it went through five centuries to become one of the symbols of the city today, much older than all the other bridges.
Map of Paris 1615 showing the Pont Neuf opened in 1607 
The bridge changed - 140 houses,
112 shops and a mill - painting 1756
History of Pont Neuf
Despite the fact that in the 16th century it was far from being populated as densely as it is now, the transport problem of the capital of France was already bothering then. The fact is that in those years the bridges were “platforms” for trade, where artisans not only set up stalls, but were even completely built up with houses. Naturally, the width of the carriageway was rapidly shrinking, making it impossible to freely cross between the banks of the Seine, not only for carts and pedestrians, but also for crowned persons.
In 1556, Henry II proposed to build a new bridge across the Seine, located nearby, according to the plan, it should have been intended only for free movement, without the construction of houses and trading shops. However, his plan failed, met with fierce resistance from merchants who did not want to lose potential customers. The cost, estimated too high for the state treasury, also played its role. Only 30 years later, already under Henry III, work did begin. The foundation stone of the Pont Neuf was laid on May 31, 1578 by the King in the presence of Catherine de Medici, the Queen Mother, and his wife, Louise of Lorraine.
Pont Neuf was "born" in pain - the Parisian merchants desperately protested against such a development of events. But it was not called the “bridge of weeping” because of this. According to contemporaries, during the beginning of construction it was raining, and the king was crying. Only he sobbed not because of bad weather, but because of the death in a duel of one of his favorites.
The king himself did not see the results of the construction. Already after his death, the work was frozen for 10 years due to a popular uprising against the king and an unstable political situation within the country from 1588 to 1598. However, in 1607, when another Henry, already IV, ruled the country, Pont Neuf was still opened.
Pont nave - project approved by Henry III 1578 
Pont Neuf - shop on the bridge
Construction of the Pont Neuf
It was originally planned that the construction of the Pont Neuf would be a single entity, connecting the two banks without any barriers. The bridge was not supposed to be built up with workshops and housing, which was contrary to tradition. The idea belonged to one of the architects, Androuet de Cerso, and not Henry III, which is often erroneously stated. Naturally, merchants did not like this option. Under pressure from the public, already in 1579, it was decided to “slightly” rework the structure so that buildings could be erected in the future. For this, some changes were made to the project, for example, the need for basements was taken into account.
But already a year after the laying of the first stone, the builders came to the conclusion that the structure would be more resistant to the influence of the river's current if two of its parts across the island were built at a slight angle. And after the plans nevertheless included the appearance of houses at the crossing in the future, the architects had to increase the number of arches on each side. At the same time, construction on the south side has already begun, and the length of the spans had to be reduced. As a result, a lot of money was spent on rebuilding the structure. Only in the end, all these innovations were practically not useful, in the entire history of the bridge, houses never appeared on it. The case was limited only to small buildings, which housed the shops of merchants and the building of the pumping station.
Pont Neuf - Pump of the Samaritan Woman 
Pont Neuf - painting by G.Canella -1832
"Pump of the Samaritan Woman"
In addition to the small shops under the roofs that stood on the bridge piers, only one full-fledged building was attached to the Pont Neuf - "The Pump of the Samaritan Woman". In 1602, the king authorized the construction of a large pump, which was designed to provide water to the palaces and the Tuileries with its gardens. The pump house was a small residential building on stilts, crowned with a clock with chimes, inside which a steam engine and two large wheels scooping water were installed.
The Samaritan Pump, designed and built by the Flemish Jean Lintlayer, was the first water lifting machine built in. In 1791, sculptures were removed from the building of the pump house, and it itself was transferred to the post of guards. In 1813, the building of the former pump house was completely dismantled, and by the middle of the 19th century, merchants' shops were also gradually dismantled. However, the name "Samaryanka" did not go away forever, today this name is given to a huge multi-storey store next to the bridge (under reconstruction).
In the 21st century, Pont Neuf, despite numerous restorations, is the oldest structure, in contrast to the "contemporaries", which were completely rebuilt on old foundations. Now, as in the 16th century, is a 232-meter structure with a width of 22 m. At one time it was the most long bridge(now the 5th), and the first bridge in Paris to have sidewalks for pedestrians.
Pont Neuf - Pont Neuf 
Pont Neuf - Pont Neuf - Mascarons
Why tourists love Pont Neuf
Pont Neuf is not only historical and architectural monument. It is also an important cultural landmark. Particularly noteworthy here are "mascarons" - sculptural decorations in the form of the heads of the heroes of ancient Greek myths. The original decorations were created by the partly famous Renaissance sculptor Germain Pilon and his followers (the master died in 1590). Today, the bridge is decorated with replicas of 16th-century masks. The originals, too exposed to the weather, moved to the museums: Cluny. Interestingly, among the 381 mascarons, only one image is female.
A viewer who sees the bridge for the first time may have questions about the purpose of the decorative semicircular ledges at the level of the sidewalks. They were created in order to streamline possible trade by placing benches not on the road, but in special recesses. Today they open great view on the Seine, with river buses floating along it, and visible in the distance.
Pont Neuf - Pont Neuf - statue of Henry IV 
Pont Neuf - Pont Neuf
In the 19th century appearance The bridge received many additions and changes. For example, semi-circular arches were replaced by low ones, and Victor Baltar's metal lanterns appeared. At the beginning of the 19th century, Louis XVIII restored the statue of the equestrian on the island - a copy of the bronze statue of Henry IV, commissioned by Marie de Medici. The original statue was destroyed in 1792 during the French Revolution.
Travelers will also be interested in Ver-Galan - the "Ardent Lover" square, laid out in the western part of the island, which has a triangular shape ("arrow"). The descent to it is accessible by stairs located directly behind the aforementioned statue of Henry IV. Quiet garden, small quiet alleys, the opportunity to ride on river trams sticking to the island - today this place is very popular with lovers. Given the fact that the bridge connects the path from the embankment to the Conti embankment, the romantic mood inherent in the park is very appropriate for citizens who enjoy the beauty of Paris and tourists hurrying to.
Castles of love on the bridge of the Archdiocese 2016 
Castles on the Pont Neuf near the statue of Henry IV - 2017
"Lovers' Castles"
The tradition that began in the 19th century in Florence, where boys and girls, “fixing” their feelings, hung locks on the Ponte Vecchio bridge, and threw the keys into the Arno River, reached Paris. Moreover, in the world's most visited city by tourists, "Lovers' Castles" have become so popular that they have become a problem. After in 2007, under the weight of numerous locks, a lantern collapsed on the Milvian Bridge in Rome, activists sounded the alarm. The "castles of lovers" that filled the bridges of Paris began to pose a real threat, as the weight of their metal reaches one hundred tons, which leads to deformation of the supports. engineering structures, and the bottom of the Seine is strewn with rusting keys.
As you know, Paris was born on a small island on the Seine River and it was from here that the history of the great city began. Therefore, the first crossings in Paris connected the island of Cité with the right and left banks of the Seine. At first they were built of wood, but later they were converted into stone ones, and many were even built up with buildings. The history of the inhabited bridges in Paris is not very simple. The first shops of artisans and merchants appeared already in the XII century, and by the XV century on the bridge of Notre Dame (Pont Notre-Dame) one could see the first houses and shops. Thanks to them, it quickly turned into a shopping center of the city. However, by order of the king in 1786, all the buildings were demolished from the bridge.
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new bridgeThe new bridge (pont Neuf) is actually the oldest bridge still standing. Its construction began at the end of the 16th century, when there were already 4 river crossings in Paris, but they could not cope with the ever-increasing traffic. He was needed in order to defuse the situation on the Menalny and the Notre Dame bridge. The peculiarity of this viaduct at that time was that there were no buildings on it.
This, in turn, aroused the indignation of the merchants, who were accustomed to seeing the bridges in Paris built up with shops and residential buildings. Undoubtedly, this building is one of the symbols of the city, for which it was repeatedly mentioned in the works of artists and writers.
The Pont de Change Bridge, on its site, as well as on the site of most crossings in the center of Paris, was originally a wooden structure in the 9th century. Subsequently, around 1638, a stone bridge was built, on which a wide construction of houses unfolded - for all the time there were about 140 houses and more than 100 trade shops of money changers, for which it was named so.
The royal building contract stated that, all buildings must correspond and fit each other, all structures must be of the same material and be on the same level. As a result, all buildings on the bridge looked like two rows of identical houses with shops and shops on the ground floor, which opened onto a narrow street between them.
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Bridge of Arts
Bridge of the ArtsBy the time the first iron bridge of the Arts (Pont des Arts) appeared in Paris, inhabited bridges already had a reputation for being unsanitary, dangerous, and unaesthetic. This viaduct, built in 1801-1804 by order of Emperor Napoleon, is now a pedestrian one.
Therefore, many passers-by stop here just to have a bite to eat or sit on a bench, because the view from the building and the place itself is of extraordinary beauty. This crossing connects the Louvre Museum and the French Academy, and since the Louvre used to be called the Palace of Arts, the bridge began to be called accordingly.
Alexander III Bridge (Pont Alexandre III) is directly related to Russia. It was built in 1896-1900 in honor of the military alliance between France and Russia. And it was named after the father of Emperor Nicholas II, Alexander III, who, during construction, himself laid one of the stones in the foundation of the structure.
Many consider this bridge in Paris the most luxurious. And indeed, even from afar, the building sparkles with gilded figures located on four 17-meter columns and at the same time impresses with its lightness, because the bridge is single-span.
