For couples in love who want to seal their love forever, there is only one thing left: pack your bags and book a city trip to Paris with your loved one. You can hang a love lock together on the Pont de l’Archevêché, a beautiful bridge in Paris. If the key is then thrown into the Seine, this is a sign of eternal love. Perhaps a nice idea for Valentine’s Day?
Paris: city of love
The metropolis Paris has been known for centuries as the city of love. Couples in love stroll along the boulevards here and celebrate their love with romantic dinners and walks through the beautiful City of Light. At the bottom of the famous Seine you will find many couples who seal their love with a bottle of wine. It is therefore not surprising that love locks have become a real ‘hype’ in Paris.
Phenomenon love locks
‘Love locks’ are now a well-known phenomenon, also in other cities. For example, an artist in Antwerp has designed a special wall on which to hang love locks. In Rome, the Ponte Milvio was so covered with love locks that they were removed by order of the municipality. But bridges full of love locks have also been spotted in Barcelona, Prague and Cologne. Those who cannot go to Paris can still go to other cities to seal their love.
Love locks Paris
However, the love locks in Paris have now become such an attraction that they can remain in place for the time being. Thousands of locks from previous couples already hang on Pont de l’Archevêché and the Pont des Arts, a colorful feast to watch. The ‘padlocks of love’ have now also been hung on nearby bridges to make more room for the loved ones. So you and your partner can also attach a padlock.
Origin of love locks
According to experts, the origin of the Parisian love locks or ‘lovelocks’ lies not so much in Paris but in the Balkans where women attached love locks to a bridge out of fear of losing their partner. In Paris, however, the idea is to seal love together. Love will only last forever if the love partners throw their keys into the Seine together.
Pont de l’Archevêché: location and metro
The Pont de lArchevêché is located near Maubert Mutualité metro station in Paris on île de la Cité. The bridge has a view of the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of the well-known symbols of Paris. You can walk in the beautiful gardens or look at the beautiful lighting in the evening and then seal your love with a padlock.
Love locks for sale in Paris
Although the love locks reflect a romantic idea, there are of course also people who like to make money from this. For example, around the corner at the Pont de l’Archevêché you will find many shops with overpriced ‘romantic’ love gifts. There are also stalls on the street that sell the so-called love locks for a good price. Taking your own love lock to Paris is not such a bad idea.
Celebrities at the love bridge
The famous bridge over the Seine is also loved by famous Dutch people. For example, various media – including ‘Shownieuws’ – reported that Sylvie van der Vaart-Meis was quickly spotted at the love bridge in Paris after her break with Rafaël van der Vaart. Here Sylvie is said to have attached a love lock to the bridge together with her new love Guillaume. On Good Friday, the loving couple threw the key of the lock into the Seine as a sign of their love.
Would you also like to seal your love in Paris?
Anyone who finds the phenomenon of ‘lovelocks’ romantic can of course go to Paris to immortalize their love. Take your lock with you, write both your names on it, throw the key into the Seine and celebrate love. And don’t forget to take a photo of your love lock. It could be that the government suddenly decides that the bridges are becoming too full. Although, Paris is and remains the capital of love.
Developments 2015: alternatives to ‘lovelocks’
In the spring of 2015, the Paris city council decided to remove a large number of the love locks. The Pont de l’Archevêché was literally on the verge of collapse. The city council also doesn’t like all the rusty love locks. In 2015, the locks on the Pont de l’Archevêché were removed. The plan is also to remove the locks from other bridges. The deputy mayor emphasized that Paris remains the capital of love: ‘something to be proud of’. Residents and visitors of Paris must therefore look for alternatives to seal their love forever.