All good things must come to an end. Monday, the city of Paris bid farewell to the infamous padlocks affixed on the Ponts des Arts bridge overlooking the River Seine.
On a daily basis, couples from around the world visit the tourist attraction to declare their love everlasting by attaching a metal lock– sometimes engraved with their names– to the bridge.
As tradition goes, the couples then throw the lock’s key into the river.
However, true love couldn’t stop gravity from weighing down the bridge with hundreds of thousands of metal locks attached to it.
According to the New York Post, the city decided to remove the locks Monday after it was clear they were becoming a safety concern.
Last summer, a chunk of the bridge’s fencing fell off. The removal was necessary for not only the preservation of the 19th century bridge but also for the safety of those crossing it.
The love-locking trend began more than five years ago. Since then, the locks have become engrained in Parisian culture.
Millions of tourists flock to Paris annually to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum and the bridge of love.
While the latter might have to be sans padlock, I’m sure couples will find another way to declare their love in the city of lights.
Until then, it seems as though million of hearts are being crushed all around the world.
Several of my friends have made the trek to the bridge of love to lock their love away.
Now their love– metaphorically speaking– will probably be melted or recycled into something new.
I’ve always dreamt of visiting Paris– attaching a lock on the bridge was definitely on my to-do list.
But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and the locks of love are no exception.
While the city is saying au revoir to locks on the bridge of love, it’s no doubt the city of lights will continue welcoming couples from around the world for years to come.