A Love Affair with French Bridges

In my opinion, France has some of the most remarkable bridges in the world. Here are four of my favorites, three of which are located in “The City of Light.”

Bridge 5 gignacIn southern France, you’ll find the Gignac Bridge, which traverses the Hérault River. There is a plaque on the side which reads, “Judged the most beautiful bridge of the 18th century“, a sentiment shared by the Michelin Green Guide describing it as “the finest 18C bridge in France because of its daring design and the beauty of its architectural lines.”

Bridge 3 Pont Neuf

 

The oldest bridge crossing the Seine in Paris, France, is called the Pont Neuf or “New Bridge.” It was awarded this name to differentiate it from other older bridges existing at the time. Construction began in 1578 ending in early 1600 with two separate spans, with five and seven arches, connecting the left and right banks with the Île de la Cité.

Bridge Pont_Alexandre_III

 

The extravagantly appointed Pont Alexandre III, considered a historical French Monument, is a deck arch bridge that crosses the Seine River in Paris. Inaugurated in 1900 for the Universal Exhibition, it connects the Invalides and Eiffel Tower with the Champs-Élysées quarter.

Paris, France. View from a boat on the river Seine. Passing the Notre Dame cathedral. Pont de Sully bridge in the foreground.

The Pont de Sully bridge opened to traffic across the River Seine in Paris, France, in 1877. I describe my first glimpse of this bridge in From Tours to Paris, my sequel to French Illusions: My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley.

“Fifteen minutes later, we spotted the Pont de Sully bridge over the Seine. “Wait until you see the view.” Michel urged me forward with a hand on the small of my back. Once we reached the middle of the bridge, he lowered my suitcase to the ground and pointed west. “There’s Notre-Dame Cathedral on Île de la Cité.”

I lifted my right eyebrow. “That’s an island?”

“Yes, and we’ll cross over Île Saint-Louis to reach the Right Bank on the other side.”

We stood there for a few moments and I drank in the scene. Peaceful rustic gray barges—one trimmed in bright orange and blue—rested alongside the river’s seawall. Random terra-cotta flowerpots filled with purple winter pansies or miniature pine trees rested on a few decks. Off in the distance, a second arched bridge, Pont de la Tournelle, offered people another route on and off the island, and the multi-towered Notre-Dame Cathedral, proudly displayed its French Gothic architecture.

Wow, what a view. I can’t believe I’m actually here in Paris, seeing all of this in person. “It’s incredible, Michel.”

“Ouais, c’est vrai.” He gave me a quick kiss and picked up my bag. “We should go—we have about a kilometer left.”

I reluctantly followed his lead.”

Amazon

 

Comments

  1. I’ve seen three of these and they really are spectacular.

  2. Lovely bridges, indeed, Linda! There are many many beautiful bridges and aqueducts in France. I love them all!

  3. Christoph Fischer says

    Beautiful bridges. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  4. Yes, France has many beautiful sights. I’m particularly enamored with Strasbourg, where my paternal grandfather was born.

  5. Chris Freed says

    You should look in to getting a gig with the travel channel. This is good stuff here.

  6. The bridges that took my breathe away were those huge viaducts across the valleys when driving from France to Italy. How they ever put them up there is totally beyond me.

  7. Fascinating Linda……..I love historical buildings, so more is the pity we haven’t made it to Europe yet, but it is definitely on our to-do list. I particularly want to visit much of Eastern Europe where many of the great buildings are located. Enjoyed this – thank you for sharing it.

    • Thank you for your kind comments on my blog, Grant. I hope you make it to Europe one day and yes, I agree that much of the architecture in Eastern Europe is fascinating. That’s a trip I’d like to make myself one day!

  8. Linda, I absolutely agree. Thanks for this.

  9. Sometimes I think I will only see France in pictures. Thanks for sharing.

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