Tour · 7 stops · ~2 hours walking
Bridges of Paris
Cross the Seine seven times.
Walk the river west to east across some of the city's most photographed bridges. About 6 km if you stay on one bank between crossings; longer if you can't resist criss-crossing.
Through the15e · Vaugirard & Beaugrenelle7e · Eiffel Tower & Invalides1er · Louvre & Les Halles6e · Saint-Germain-des-Prés4e · Le Marais & Île Saint-Louis
1Pont de Bir-Hakeim
Two-deck bridge from 1905: cars and pedestrians below, a steel viaduct for métro line 6 above. The Eiffel-Tower view from the middle is the one Inception used.
Walk on the lower deck (pedestrian) but stop midway and look up — the diagonal steel braces frame the Eiffel Tower exactly. The viewing point at the centre, between the two roadways, is signposted. Métro line 6 trains pass overhead every two minutes.
From Wikipedia›
The Pont de Bir-Hakeim, is a steel open spandrel deck arch bridge on stone masonry starlings, which crosses the Seine in Paris, France. The bridge is named after the 1942 battle in Libya; until 1948 it was known as the Pont de Passy. The Pont de Bir-Hakeim connects the 15th and 16th arrondissements, passing over the northeast end of the Île aux Cygnes.
Read more on Wikipedia →48.85520, 2.28850
- 2
Pont d'Iéna
Built 1814 to commemorate Napoleon's victory at Jena. Connects the Eiffel Tower to the Trocadéro — you've already seen this one if you've done Iconic Paris.
Walk on the upstream (eastern) side for the cleanest Eiffel-Tower view — the downstream side faces away. After crossing, take the riverside path (Quai Branly) east; it's quieter than walking along the avenue.
From Wikipedia›
Pont d'Iéna is a bridge spanning the River Seine in Paris. It links the Eiffel Tower on the Left Bank to the district of Trocadéro on the Right Bank.
Read more on Wikipedia →Verified nearby ·Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel5 min
48.85810, 2.29350
3Pont Alexandre III
The most ornate bridge in Paris, opened for the 1900 Exposition Universelle. Four 17-metre Beaux-Arts pillars topped with gilded statues. Named for the Russian tsar to seal the Franco-Russian alliance.
The four bronze pegasi at the corners are the photograph; for the wide shot, walk down the steps to the lower quay (Port des Champs-Élysées on the Right Bank, Port d'Orsay on the Left). The bridge is at its best at sunset when the gold leaf catches the light.
From Wikipedia›
The Pont Alexandre III is a deck arch bridge that spans the Seine in Paris. It connects the Champs-Élysées quarter with those of the Invalides and Eiffel Tower. The bridge is widely regarded as the most ornate, extravagant bridge in the city. It has been classified as a French monument historique since 1975.
Read more on Wikipedia →Verified nearby ·Rosa Bonheur sur Seine4 min
48.86380, 2.31370
4Pont des Arts
The first iron bridge in Paris (1804), and the long-time location of the love-locks tradition. The padlocks were removed in 2015 after a section of railing collapsed under their weight.
Walking direction matters here: cross from the Louvre side toward the Institut de France for the better composition. The benches in the middle are popular for picnics — bring a baguette. No locks, but the city now sells small art prints from boxes attached to the railing on summer weekends.
From Wikipedia›
The Pont des Arts or Passerelle des Arts is a pedestrian bridge in Paris which crosses the River Seine. It links the Institut de France and the central square of the Palais du Louvre, which had been termed the "Palais des Arts" under the First French Empire.
Read more on Wikipedia →48.85840, 2.33750
5Pont Neuf
Despite the name ("new bridge"), this is the oldest standing bridge in Paris — completed 1607 under Henri IV. The first bridge in the city designed without houses on it; that was a radical idea at the time.
The bridge has 384 carved stone faces (mascarons) along the cornices — each is different. Stop at the small semicircular pavement bays sticking out over the river; those were where 17th-century vendors set up booths. From the western tip you can drop down to Square du Vert-Galant.
From Wikipedia›
The Pont Neuf is the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris, France. It stands by the western (downstream) point of the Île de la Cité, the island in the middle of the river that between 250 and 225 BC was the birthplace of Paris. During the medieval period, the Île was the heart of the city.
Read more on Wikipedia →Verified nearby ·Citadines Saint-Germain-des-Prés3 minLe Tout-Paris4 min
48.85670, 2.34150
6Pont au Change
Where moneychangers worked in the Middle Ages — hence the name. The current bridge is from 1860; the medieval original carried whole houses across the Seine.
Look at the keystones — each carved with a giant capital N for Napoleon III, who commissioned the rebuild. From the bridge, the view back at the Conciergerie's four medieval turrets is the photo most postcards use. Continue east along Quai aux Fleurs.
From Wikipedia›
The Pont au Change is a bridge over the Seine River in Paris, France. The bridge is located at the border between the first and fourth arrondissements. It connects the Île de la Cité from the Palais de Justice and the Conciergerie, to the Right Bank, at the Place du Châtelet.
Read more on Wikipedia →Verified nearby ·Hôtel Britannique4 min
48.85620, 2.34700
7Pont Marie
1614, named after its architect Christophe Marie. The oldest bridge connecting to Île Saint-Louis. Local lore says blowing a kiss while crossing it makes a wish come true.
Cross from the Right Bank to the island. Halfway across, look downstream — the next bridge (Pont de Sully) is the eastern tip of the island, and it's the prettiest view in this section of the river. Berthillon ice cream is a five-minute walk from the island end.
From Wikipedia›
The Pont Marie is a bridge which crosses the Seine in Paris, France.
Read more on Wikipedia →Verified nearby ·MIJE Marais4 min
48.85320, 2.35730