Goodbye to the Lovers' Love Locks' on Paris' Pont des Arts bridge

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When I visited Paris last September, beside many things and places, the famous Paris Pont des Arts bridge was on my hit list -but I could not visit this unique place as my wish list was too long and I had just four days to myself. 

For many years the bridge over the River Seine  has been the venue of the lovers coming and locking a padlock or the 'love locks' with their names engraved on the padlocks and attaching these to the railing of the grate of the bridge. And then throwing the key in the river down below as what they lovers call a 'romantic gesture.'

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Since 2008, when this lovely tradition started, thousands and thousands of padlocks of varying sizes and colours have been added and the Pont des Arts bridge has become an attractive tourist attraction since.

Although the tradition of lovers' locks has been something that not only lovers from Paris but tourists around the world made it a point to place their love lock at Pont des Arts bridge. But this was adding weight to the the bridge. As per an estimate the locks weig some 45 tons - adding pehenmonela weight to the bridge. In fact these "romantic gestures" have been causing long term Heritage degradation and danger to visitors.

Therefore, the Paris Mayor came up with a different idea in 2014 and he wanted the lovers to take a selfie of Love without Locks rather than merely attaching yet another lock and let it rust like all previous ones.

Locks being removed from the Paris Pont des Arts Bridge [Getty Image]

And now starting from 1 June 2015, the locks have started to be removed. But the keys thrown in the river since 2008 would stay there keeping the lovers' romance alive forever.

So that means not having visited the Pont des Arts bridge last September, I missed a lifetime opportunity of seeing the love locks - which will now be no more there if I visit Paris once again. 

Goodbye love locks!!

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