Love Locked

The love padlocks on the Pont des Arts.

Last week we took our walking tour of Paris after being away for a few years. As we made our way around the city we crossed the Pont des Arts bridge that connects the Left Bank at the "Institut de France" to the Louvre. Approaching the bridge we noticed a padlock here and there on the grid railing. When we were firmly walking on the bridge, the railings were so covered with the cadenas d'amour (love padlocks) that it looked as if the railings were made of padlocks.

Upon research, it appears this has been going on for a few years and there are over 2,000 padlocks. This tradition of locking your love with someone else forever together has been going on in different cities world wide. I believe that one locks the padlock on the bridge and then throws the key into the river.

What a beautiful tradition to celebrate love in the "City of Love".

L'Institut de France, from the pont des Arts.