Pont Marie

Paris · France · Bridge

Kiss beneath the arch and love lasts forever — but up on the roadway a woman stands weeping for a man who never came to meet her.

The Pont Marie is one of the oldest bridges in the city and is known as the lovers' bridge: tradition holds that a kiss beneath one of its arches, sealed with a silent wish, makes love last. But the bridge carries a darker legend too. It concerns a Parisian woman who during the Occupation moved between two men and used that position to pass on what she heard. One winter night she stood on the roadway waiting for her husband. He never came, and she froze to death where she stood. Since then her figure is said to appear in the dark above the water, motionless and weeping, facing the Île Saint-Louis. The pairing is typically Parisian: the same stone arches that guarantee eternal love hold a woman waiting forever for someone who never arrives.

FAQ

Where is Pont Marie located?

Pont Marie is in Paris, France.

Image: Jonathan Nélis / CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons