The history of Paris is intrinsically linked to the history of the Seine, a major asset when it came to the growth and development of the city, but also an unpredictable element that Parisians throughout the ages have tried to both tame and cross by constructing ambitious structures.
The river's bridges and walkways are key features of the landscape of Paris. As well as being favourite places for Parisians to walk and contemplate the surroundings, they are also eminently symbolic works that have existed through the major urban and social transformations the city has undergone.
Hyphens connecting the two river banks, fortresses against turbulent floods, lively and bustling public spaces, theatres of dramas and declarations of love, symbols of power, places of celebration of each bridge unveils a part of the face of Paris, where everyday stories and the city's very history itself blend and intertwine.
A passionate devotee of history and architecture, your specialist guide will take you on a journey along the course of the river in search of the best viewpoints, relating the history of Paris and unravelling the mysteries of its so poetically charming bridges along the way.
Your walk will begin under the protective eye of Henri IV, the builder king, whose equestrian statue dominates the UNESCO World Heritage inscribed Pont Neuf. From this exceptional vantage point, you'll travel back in time to the distant epoch of Lutetia, born of the river, and immerse yourself in the extraordinary history of the medieval bridges: wood constructions covered in narrow houses and exposed to the whims of water and flames.
From Paris's oldest bridge to the Alexandre III bridge, masterpiece of the 1900 Paris Exposition, via the Pont du Carrousel, the Pont Royal, the Pont de la Concorde and the Pont des Arts, your guide will little by little reveal to you the secrets of these structures that have borne witness to so many events. From one bank of the river to the other, you'll get to appreciate the full scale of these wood, stone, cast iron, steel or concrete constructions and the testimony this bears to the audacity of their architects and those who commissioned them. Like so many artists, writers, film-makers and poets before you, discover the magic of the bridges of Paris and, night or day, marvel at the unique views each offers of the capital.
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