Paris pleas – say it with selfies, not locks

Paris pleas – say it with selfies, not locks
By admin


Note to romance-struck couples strolling in Paris, the eternal city of love: please consider immortalising your passion with a "selfie" rather than lashing a padlock to a city bridge.

That was the message issued by City Hall authorities, desperately trying to save its bridges, including the world-famous Pont des Arts, from damage from the thousands of padlocks left there by lovers to pledge their eternal devotion.

Since 2008, when the craze first began, thousands of couples from across the world have visited the Pont des Arts every year and sealed their love by attaching a lock carrying their names to its railing and throwing the key in the Seine.

But too much love can be a dangerous thing and the city authorities have been wrestling with the problem of how to halt the phenomenon, which is beginning to take its toll.

In June, police hurriedly ushered tourists off the Pont des Arts when a section of the footbridge collapsed under the weight of the metal displays of affection.

Two young Americans living in Paris have gathered thousands of signatures for a petition they launched in March calling for the locks to be removed, saying they are eyesores and cause damage to the bridges.

City Hall authorities said: "The idea is to give couples the alternative of a selfie instead of a love lock and explain that they are weighing too heavily on Parisian bridges."

Notices have been put up on bridges encouraging lovers to take a selfie and upload them to a special site (lovewithoutlocks.paris.fr) or to tweet them with the hashtag #lovewithoutlocks.

"It's the first step in a wider action plan … an initial communication effort to tell people that love locks are not good for Paris's cultural heritage and that actually, it's not an ideal way to symbolise love," the City Hall added.

Latest News

  • Aviation

Qantas ‘working urgently’ to fix app data leak

Qantas is looking into customer reports that passengers have this morning been able to access other passengers’ personal information on the airlines app. X user Lachlan posted that he was able log into different accounts every time he opened the app. My @Qantas app logs me in to a different person each time I open […]

  • Road & Rail

Rail Europe ANZ: making dream journeys come true

In case you haven’t heard, Rail Europe has rolled out its latest campaign which will see one very lucky travel advisor’s dream train journey through Europe come true in the very near future. In the lead up to the launch of Rail Europe’s e-brochure featuring a host of sample-themed itineraries across Europe, travel advisors can […]

Partner Content

by Travel Weekly

Travel Weekly
  • Aviation

Bonza’s future on knife edge

The fallout from yesterday’s mass Bonza cancellation has been swift, with the failing airline announcing yesterday afternoon that it has gone into voluntary administration. Australia’s newest airline launched last year in February and promised to bring cheap flights to travellers around the country. In its first year, Bonza operated 38 routes to 21 destinations, 84 […]

  • Hotels

Revamped Wailoaloa Beach hotel opens as Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa

Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is open and ready for bookings after the first phase of a multi-million-dollar transformation. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium collection, the transformation has seen the completion of 106 guestrooms showcasing contemporary interiors reflective of the premium Crowne Plaza brand and is a first for the […]

  • Tourism

Nielsen Data reveals brands spending big to attract Aussie tourists

TripADeal had the biggest outlay of the more than $153 million spent on travel and tourism advertising in Australia in the first quarter of 2024, followed by Virgin Australia and Flight Centre-owned Ignite Travel, new Nielsen Ad Intel data has revealed. And the industry ad spend enjoyed an increase of 8 per cent on the […]

  • Luxury
  • News

Kamalaya Koh Samui clinches clutch of wellness awards

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa has so far clinched five prestigious awards in 2024, including being inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the World Spa & Wellness Awards in London. Founders of the Koh Samui sanctuary and spa John and Karina Stewart expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the awards. “We are profoundly honoured […]

  • Partner Content

My journey: Before becoming a travel agent I was… a palliative care nurse 

Australind Travel & Cruise, Travellers Choice member Saibra Twigg reveals her life as paediatric nurse then to palliative care before a career leap to travel agent. How did you become a palliative care nurse?  ST I went straight from school in nursing and initially specialised in paediatrics, working at Perth’s Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. […]

Partner Content

by Travel Weekly

Travel Weekly
  • Destinations
  • News

APT Launches 2025 Asia Adventures

APT has launched its Asia Adventures for 2025, including new luxury holidays in India, Sri Lanka and Japan. Five new tours lead guests to the highlights of India, including a seven-night cruise along the rarely travelled Lower Ganges aboard the Ganges Voyager. Further south, Sri Lanka’s greatest destinations are revealed on a new 15-day Land […]