Some people say that Paris is the most romantic city in the world.
It could be because of the magnificent views of old buildings;
Or the romantic bridges criss-crossing the Seine.
Whatever the reason, the bridges of Paris are famous
For their hundreds of love locks —
Most with the names of couples written on them
To signify eternal love.
One of the most famous bridges with locks is very near Notre Dame Cathedral.
It’s been standing for at least 800 years — a testament of love and faith —
And it makes the loves and losses of our lives
Seems like the brief and passing beauty of a candle flame.
For more old stories, please visit: Our World Tuesday.
Lady Fi 
Wow, what a load of locks. Is there one my name on it?
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It seems that bridges all across the world are starting to have love locks. Hopefully the love of the individuals for each other will last a lifetime.
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those are so cool…i dont know if i know about those…i so need to go to paris….
i might have to paint one and start a trend here…smiles
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I like the notion. Always enjoy seeing the photo’s, even better when they’re yours. They remind me visually, of Mussels clinging to rocks or farming frames. So does one throw the key away? I would not trust love if there was a key out there somewhere. I am a romantic, but I have been tainted slightly towards skepticism.
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You’re supposed to throw away the key – into the Seine, for example. I believe that some couples have tried to break open their locks once they have split up though.
Lady Fi wrote: > >
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Very appropriate post for Valentine’s, this season of romance. The first time I saw lovelocks was in a town not far from Kiev, Ukraine. An endearing tradition, I’d say!
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Love is timeless and seems to outlast many relationships. I have heard of the locks and can appreciate the symbolism and hope that exists behind these gestures.
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This is the most I have ever seen. I have seen them on the meridian line in Greenwich and think they are so romantic but a nightmare for the authorities. X
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Wow! So many of them! Great captures! What a sight!
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Awesome!! These are really amazing and SO many of them!! Incredible and what terrific captures for the day, Fiona!!
Enjoy your new week!!
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Oh my gosh I HAVE to add those love locks to my Bucket List. I must see those 🙂
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i love the perspective in that last shot!
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I hope those love locks work. Those bridges of Paris would be neat to see.
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Wow! There’s uncountable locks… amazing practice. Lovely captures
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Such beautiful shots! I would love to visit here someday.
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Love locks do seem appropriate to Paris bridges. Great shots and post.
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Glorious photos! It’s my favorite City in the world. I realized when I was there the first time, I should have spent my entire life in Paris. Unfortunately, I was already in my late 40’s, so it was unlikely that I could live out that dream. I’ve been back three times, and I still wonder at the beauty of the place. And the romance! Let’s not forget how that magical light brings out the romance in the people, the buildings, the food, the wine. Ah Paris!
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Dear Lady Fi, many years ago–back in 1976–I got to visit Paris and saw Notre Dame. So majestic and so awe-inspiring to think that workers centuries ago spent their lives building this edifice of belief. Hope. Trust. Decades passed and their sons worked and then their grand-sons. And they left us a living monument of their faith that all shall be well in our world. I was so impressed by the tympanums of the churches of France that I wrote a Plan B paper about them when I worked on my master’s degree at the University of MInnesota. Viewing your final photograph brought all this back and filled me with gratitude for my life. Thank you. Peace.
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Lovely and romantic ~ Makes me want to going to Paris (once of few places I haven’t been) ~ Beautiful photography and thanks for visiting and commenting ~ ArtMuseDog loves the attention ~ xxx
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Oh, wow. I had no idea about the locks on the bridges. What a neat thing to do!
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I think a few cities have copied the idea – there’s a bridge in Stockholm decorated with locks too. I like the idea, though think if I then broke up with the guy the idea of our lock still out there somewhere would freak me out… !
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Wow, so many locks and so many loves. Wonderful captures! Thanks for sharing, have a happy week!
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Wonderful photos, this habit is perfect for vendors locks!
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I don’t really know exactly what it is about the love locks, but it is one of my top items on my bucket list. It probably has to do with the romance of it.♥
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I love the shot of Notre Dame. The love lock thing I’m not such a fan of. I’ve seen them in Florence, on the bridges over the Arno. While it is supposed to be romantic, it also comes across as a kind of vandalism. It defaces these historic bridges, adding weight that can damage it, plus throwing away the key into ther river is polluting it with rusting metal. I can see the “romance” notion, but just wish it was less intrusive – and that people didn’t have to be so sheep-like and do it because everyone else is doing it.
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I want to place a Love Lock on that fence!! This is the first thing I shall do when I travel to France! Xx
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Locking love in place – can it be done? Those glorious buildings have surely survived the test of time. I find them very romantic.
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This is interesting! Because my Polish guests of Taizé told me that newly weds in their hometown do the same. They also fasten the locks on a bridge. It´s a beautiful idea!Have a great week.
Wil
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We have a bridge with love locks too. A very poor imitation with less than a hundred on it. Perhaps in time…
Thank you for these wonderful images.
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Those love locks are amazing. I didn’t know of their existence! Yes, Paris does seem like a romantic city, though as cities go, London has my heart!
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Beautiful pictures and so romantic place.
Greetings 🙂
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There is a wee little padlock on one of those bridges with my name on it (LM’s, too!) Thanks for the memory!
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So lovely! Wonderful shots! All these love locks … very romantic!
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I love to visit Paris, so many places to see and find.
Jim
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Hi! Nice captures The first and the last photos are very fascinating. Thanks for sharing. Wishing you a wonderful week.
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I’m so against this.
Not only it’s wasteful, it’s so bad for the environment too.
People actually throw away their keys into the river.
But the truth is nothing really lasts forever.
Love, our planet, etc will “disappear” one day.
So let’s just enjoy this moment. 🙂
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Great photos Fiona. Love just may be the answer.
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I have been to Paris and never saw these love locks! Darn! I loved Notre Dame! The Loire Valley in France with its magnificent chateaus was wonderful!!
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These are some amazing photos! That bridge is very romantic! Would be fun to have the keys hanging on the other side–althought locked in love means locked in love.
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exciting post
ALOHA from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
=^..^= ❤
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I feel like I have just visited Paris through your photos 🙂
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Beautiful perspectives!
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These are lovely views of Paris. The bridge of love locks is intriguing and very colorful. Brilliant photos!
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I want to visit this in real life one day 🙂
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lovely photographs,.. beautiful
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Apparently, in Russia they have purpose built ‘trees’ to fix the love locks to.
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That’s a lot of locks.
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Beautiful photos of the locks! This hadn’t started yet when I was in Paris 35 years ago, or I’d have a lock on there, too!
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I don’t remember seeing locks on the bridges when I was living in Paris – but then, that was twenty years ago – maybe it is a recent tradition!
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Fascinating. 🙂
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Schlösser findet man bald ÜBERALL an den Brücken..
ob das gut für die Brücken ist??
LG vom katerchen
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I think I’ll set up a lock shop at one end of that bridge!
Only a few minutes after I had taken my boat picture it had sailed out of view – thankfully.
Cheers – Stewart M – Melbourne
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Nice series, never seen so much locks on one place
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Have seen similar locks on a bridge in Slovenia – many appeared to have been broken open, though. How sad is that?
Superb captures.
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How beautiful and such fantastic shots!
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I’d never heard of the love locks until I saw this post. And I’ve been to Paris a couple of times. Maybe that shows how non-romantic I am. 🙂
The ancient places of the world do make the loves of our lives seem fleeting. But deep down, it’s all connected.
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These were great and interesting photos!
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I’ve heard of these love-lock bridges! How romantic! Great photos!!
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so splendid! What a romantic place. It is true, as you say, that our loving lives are just a moment in time…but if we love well that is enough.
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Wow! this is interesting.
Great shots.
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How so very interesting!!!
Not only this post, but the previous one, Romancing the Snow.
I enjoyed reading what you published today.
Also, here the robins DO migrate!!
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/faq/master_folder/migration/document_view
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This is a place I would love to visit, lock my love and throw away the keys 🙂
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Magnificent pictures – you’re a genius!
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great shots – I’ve heard about this bridge with the keys, but didn’t see it when I was in Paris – good excuse to go back!
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Forever? Ha ha ha.
Surely many of these love stories have already ended.
I like your photo.
· hugs
· CR · & · LMA ·
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What a beautiful tradition this is!
I am sure that each story is very special.
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An unusual sight brilliantly captured
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Great photos and words to go with them, as always. I just love the way you do that. Find the words, to go with……
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Maybe that was true in the past, but today’s Paris is everything else but romantic, lol ! The love locks were copied from a bridge in Rome !
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What a unique use of locks. Must be a very popular activity with locals and tourists alike.
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I’d never heard of this lovely custom … thank you for sharing .
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Great captures.
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thanks for the memory jog
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I love your perspective of the church. They locks are quite romantic.
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Here’s an article on the relatively new history of this love-lock practice: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/aug/23/italy-bridges-locks-of-love
Unfortunately, these locks are threatening the integrity of many fragile, historical bridges across the world. Someone needs to come up with a solution before serious damage is done. Venice now employs multiple “lock-cutters” and even with fines imposed for perpetrators, are finding themselves with more work than they can handle. Ah, amore!
I am envious of your proximity to Paris, such a lovely city. Thanks for the tour.
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If I ever return to Paris I must find this bridge, I have my own lock to leave behind
Mollyxxx
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Great city photos. The last time I was in Paris was decades ago, when I was a young child.
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I sigh over that bridge, it’s so romantic.
Jen
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Love that perspective of the cathedral! (When we went there, I was actually disappointed. It seemed dark and dreary inside.)
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What a shame. I actually gasped when I went inside as it was so lovely!
Lady Fi wrote: > >
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I just heard about this… I think it’s cool but I hate other bridges are copying it. It takes away the romance.
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Can the locks bring eternal love to these couples,i really wish it could.
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I saw something similar in my trip to Melbourne too. But they were still fewer in number. This is so beautiful! Wow!
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They say Paris is the most romantic city in the world.
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I hope that they will never need the key. 🙂
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Locks on bridges and shoe trees!
I wonder where these practices started?
The building in the last photo is amazing! So is the photo of it!
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Interesting about the locks–I did not know that. Certainly makes one wonder about each love…
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The composition of that first photo is unbelievably beautiful. Thanks.
Greetings from London.
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Beautifully said and wonderfully photographed.
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I watched the bridge on TV. There is lovely story.
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I did not know this. If I do to Paris, I will have to do this.
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love the story, love the pics, awed at how you did the last photo. dang it, why is it that some people have the eye for beauty? 😉 your pics are very technically competent, ms. lady fi. they speak volumes… 🙂
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«Louis» lived in Paris for a time. He lived very near Nôtre-Dame. This post makes him wish he still lived in Paris! 🙂
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