Love is in the air! In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we are sharing some of the world’s LOVEliest places. It has become a popular tradition to display eternal love for your partner by engraving a padlock with your names, fixing it to a permanent structure and throwing away the key. Bridges throughout Europe have become adorned with padlocks, symbolizing love-inspired commitments. Here’s where you can find these gestures of love:
Pont des Arts – Paris, France. Undoubtedly the most famous love lock bridge in the world, Pont des Arts attracts thousands of tourists, lookers and lovers alike. In recent years, the bridge became so weighted down by love, portions of padlocks had to be removed for safety purposes.
Ponte Milvio – Rome, Italy. This famous landmark, known most notably for the Battle of Milvian Bridge, is not a popular place for love locks to be left. But proceed with caution – you can get fined up to €50 if caught displaying your love on this bridge!
Mala Strana – Prague, Czech Republic. Once a city shielded under communism, Prague has emerged as a city of expression. Located near the John Lennon wall, just below Prague Castle, lies a small yet significant display of love. Those without room to affix their lock often leave their mark on the wall in permanent ink.
Butcher’s Bridge – Ljubljana, Slovenia. With love in its name, is anyone surprised to find a love lock bridge in Slovenia? Keep an eye out for the unusual creatures sculpted onto the sides of the bridge.
Hohenzollern Bridge – Cologne, Germany. Due to its proximity to Cologne’s iconic cathedral, this bridge is widely photographed and recognized. While it may be known as a prominent rail bridge, it is also ornamented with love locks, sealing together lovers whose keys have been tossed aside into the Rhine River below.