Locked in love across the bridge
Like most great monuments and edifices dedicated to love, be it our very own Taj Mahal in Agra, or Verona, Italy’s famed Juliet Balcony, the genesis of the Love Lock Bridge, too, bears more than just a tinge of tragedy. What romantically oriented travellers see as spots to seal their commitment to their ‘special someone’, are places that always seem to have a gut-wrenchingly sad story behind them.
Generally seen fording meandering rivers and streams, these bridges are places where lovers can be found affixing shiny padlocks in all shapes and sizes onto their railings, balustrades and posts. The locks would have first been emblazoned with their initials in some sort of indelible ink. Once clicked shut, their keys then dramatically tossed into the flowing waters below. Thus, symbolising a life of everlasting love, togetherness and dedication to one another.
It is believed that the first Love Lock Bridge trend started over a century ago. The setting was the dramatic Most Ljubavi bridge in Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia. Legend has it that a pair of lovers named Nada and Relja were separated during World War I.
A few years later, Nada died of a broken heart after Relja fell for another woman. Upon hearing the story, women in Vrnjacka Banja started inscribing their names and those of their partners on padlocks and locking them onto the railings of the bridge where Nada and Relja used to meet.
Soon the concept spread far and wide. To that end, we’ve come up with a list of few of the most interesting ones across the world:
Napa Valley Wine Train Love
Lock Bridge, Napa, USA
There’s just something about trains and romance. Probably it’s those filmi montages of separated lovers either parting or reuniting at a train station that fuels this affinity. Now add to this a love lock bridge and a place like Napa — which is widely considered one of the world’s most romantic destinations. The tiny, pedestrian Love Lock Bridge connecting the Napa Valley Wine Train station and the boarding platform is one such place where couples can “lock it in” so to speak. In fact, all you The Big Bang Theory fans out there, guess what? One can find a commemorative padlock here in honour of ‘Shamy’s’ (Sheldon and Amy) kiss on the famous Napa train.
Love Lock Bridge, Da Nang, Vietnam
A recent and purpose-built one in 2015, this 68m arc bridge is located between the Dragon Bridge and Han River Bridge in Vietnam’s third largest city of Da Nang. It is situated towards the middle of the Han river. So that, standing on it, one can admire the surrounding scenery and the other side of the city centre. Insiders tell us that the best time to be here is in the evening. This is because at this time, the many lanterns hanging along the bridge start to light, reflecting the glittering red light down the river surface, creating a blissful and romantic setting.
Pont des Arts, Paris, France
Majestically fording over the River Seine in Paris is the Pont des Arts. Literally meaning, ‘Bridge of Arts’, this baroque bridge is undeniably the most famous love lock bridge in the whole world, attracting lovers from all over. Its popularity caused the bridge to buckle under the pressure of the thousands of locks, resulting in a ban on their placement. And while it’s illegal to add padlocks to the bridge today, this shouldn’t deter you from wandering along this icon that’s one of the GOAT!
Magere Brug, Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
The only other European Love Lock Bridge on our list is the Magere Brug which can be found in the continent’s party capital of Amsterdam. Known multifariously as Kerkstraatbrug (the skinny bridge) and “the kissing bridge”, this drawbridge is a famous city attraction. At night, it is lit by 1,200 lamps, and it is believed that sealing your love with a kiss while sailing underneath it guarantees a never-ending partnership. The perfect combination we’d say of a ride along the famous canals of Amsterdam and some romance, right?
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