Padlocks of Love
In Paris, France by the Notre Dame lies a bridge called Pont de L'Archevêché, better known as the Padlock or Love Bridge. With time it became a pattern for couples to leave a padlock on the bridge and throw the key into the Seine River as a symbol for their eternal love. It was great walking across the bridge and spotting love messages and special/unusual padlocks. It is worth taking a peak.
Location Details
Paris, France
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Apparently this all started in Rome, as a result of an Italian movie in which young lovers wrote their names on a padlock, locked it to a bridge and threw the key into the river. The idea spread to cities around the world. There even are a few on the Brooklyn Bridge.
It's become quite popular in Paris, judging by the thousands of locks on just one small bridge, the Pont de Archeveche behind Notre Dame. There are many on the Pont des Arts pedestrian bridge as well. And it's happened quickly. None of the locks was here when we were in Paris in 2009. But I shot this video in 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEmPqaR4KgY
This is like spray painting your name on the wall. The locks are rusting away and the keys are polluting the Seine. People have even started doing this on the statuary of the Pont Alexandre III. Please stop doing this. - signed, a local
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