Pont des Arts
Paris
The Pont des Arts is the footbridge linking the Louvre to the Institut de France. The first bridge was begun in 1801; today's dates from 1984.
A bridge for pedestrians
The bridge was begun in 1801, when Napoleon ruled France. It was for pedestrians only and had nine arches.
Its name comes from the Louvre: under the Empire the palace was called the Palais des Arts. The bridge linked it to the south bank of the Seine.
What to look at from the bridge
To the south stands the Institut de France, with its great dome. Five academies meet there, including the Académie française.
To the north stretches the Louvre. To the east you can see the tip of the Île de la Cité. There are the Pont Neuf and the plants of the small garden on the tip. It is a good spot to look back on the way you have come.
Today's bridge
The old bridge had been weakened by the bombs of the two world wars and by boats bumping into it. In 1984 the architect Louis Arretche rebuilt it in steel.
The new bridge recalls the old one, but has fewer arches. It is still one of the best-loved places to watch the sunset over the Seine. Painters, photographers and passers-by all gather here.
