Le Pont Des Arts

I posted this picture once before as part of a larger post, but came across it recently and thought I'd put it up on its own. I took the photo in January 1992, originally a color slide that I've since scanned for the computer.


The Pont des Arts was Paris' first iron bridge, built between 1802 and 1804. It has always been a pedestrian bridge between the Institut de France and the Louvre. It was weakened over time by bombs (1981 1918 and 1944) and by the odd boat running into it.

The bridge was closed to pedestrian traffic in 1977, and then in 1979 it was destroyed when yet another river barge hit it.

It was rebuilt in the early 1980s and re-opened in 1984. Still a pedestrian bridge, the Pont des Arts boasts a terrific up-river view of the Ile-de-la-Cité and has become a display place for artists and street musicians.