Pont des Arts bridge in Paris

The Pont des Arts (Bridge of the Arts), a footbridge linking the Louvre Museum and the Institut de France, is an absolute must on any walking tour of Paris. The bridge with its cast iron arches and azobé timber decking affords a breathtaking panorama of Paris from the vantage point of the Seine.

The Pont des Arts has inspired artists and poets with Georges Brassens famously celebrating it in his song Le Vent (the wind) with words of warning to young ladies whose skirts may be blown up by a cheeky gust of wind while crossing the Pont des Arts. Then, there's Emile Zola who marvelled: "High up on its iron girders, with a lightness of black lace, animated by the constant comings and goings of pedestrians, march a cavalcade of ants on the fine line of her apron" (L’Œuvre, 1885).

The above passage testifies to the fragility of the bridge. Indeed, a part of the bridge collapsed in 1979. After much debate, it was decided to rebuild the Pont des Arts on the model of the original bridge built between 1802 and 1804 by Jacques de Lacroix Dillon. Louis Arretche began work on the Pont des Arts we know today. It was inaugurated in 1984 by Jacques Chirac, then mayor of Paris.
Since 2015, lovers have no longer been allowed to attach padlocks (a symbol of their love) to the bridge, and the city hall, for safety reasons, replaced the railings with panels.

Pont des Arts bridge in Parisspecial selection of our hotels


  • From 243 Timhotel Le Louvre

    Louvre Museum, Notre-Dame and Chatelet nearby. 20mn away from La Défense

    Near the Louvre and the famous Rue de Rivoli and Rue Saint-Honoré, the Timhotel Le Louvre offers a location that's not only in the heart of Paris, but, more importantly, in the heart of French history. Here you can enjoy the cultural...

    300 meters from the Louvre Museum

  • From 129 Timhotel Palais Royal

    Near the Louvre and Chatelet. Very charming address. Guest rooms with AC

    Not far from the famous Rue de Rivoli and Rue Saint-Honoré, the Timhotel Palais Royal is located in the historical and cultural centre of Paris. This art-deco-bedecked Haussmann-style hôtel de charme, which is near everything, will...

    Next to the Palais Royal and Louvre Museum

  • From 234 Timhotel Invalides Eiffel

    Between the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides

    Between the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides, a few steps away from the banks of the Seine and tucked away in a beautiful, peaceful and safe district, Timhotel Invalides Eiffel is a romantic hôtel de charme. Decorated mainly with Louis...

    Central and chic area