The most beautiful bridges of Paris to admire by boat

Paris has more than thirty bridges along its stretch of the Seine alone, and from the deck of a boat they take on a different character: you no longer cross them, you pass beneath them. You discover the vaults, the carved masks, the stone piers and the play of light that vanish completely when you walk across.

The articles on our blog about the monuments seen from the Seine describe the landscape as a whole. This one takes a complementary angle: it is devoted solely to the bridges, with their history, the order in which you will pass them and the moments that lend themselves best to photography.

Pont Neuf: the oldest bridge in the capital

Despite its name, the Pont Neuf ("New Bridge") is the oldest bridge still standing in Paris. Begun under Henri III in the late 16th century, it was completed under Henri IV in the early 17th. It crosses the tip of the Île de la Cité and is in fact made up of two bridges, one over each arm of the river.

Seen from the water, it is recognisable by its arches of pale stone and the frieze of sculpted masks beneath the cornice, visible only from a boat. Passing close to the Square du Vert-Galant, at the tip of the island, offers one of the most classic views of the cruise.

Pont des Arts and the footbridges: pedestrian elegance

The Pont des Arts is a pedestrian-only footbridge linking the Institut de France to the Louvre. An original iron version, opened in 1804, was replaced by a reconstruction in the 1980s. The love locks, removed in 2015, have given way to a lighter, more open structure.

From a boat, it is the slender metal arches and wooden deck that catch the eye, with the dome of the Institut as a backdrop. The same area has other pedestrian footbridges, such as the Léopold-Sédar-Senghor footbridge, which add to the delicacy of this stretch.

Pont Alexandre III: the showcase of the Belle Époque

Opened in 1900 for the Exposition Universelle, the Pont Alexandre III is named after Tsar Alexander III and symbolises Franco-Russian friendship. Its single steel arch, very shallow, was designed so as not to spoil the view of the Invalides and the Champs-Élysées.

Its lamp posts, putti, nymphs and gilded winged horses make it the most ornate bridge in Paris. From the water, you can appreciate the detail of the decoration, which no passer-by sees so closely. We have written an article about a private cruise departing from the Pont Alexandre III, a very popular boarding point.

Pont de Bir-Hakeim: the cinematic bridge

Opened in the early 20th century, the Pont de Bir-Hakeim is a two-level viaduct: the road below, and the elevated Line 6 metro above, carried on metal piers that give it an industrial look. It took its current name after the Second World War, in memory of the Battle of Bir-Hakeim.

It appears in many films and photo shoots. By boat, its line of columns and the metro crossing above the water make a very graphic image, with the Eiffel Tower close by.

In what order do you pass the bridges?

The order depends on your departure quay and the direction of travel. As an example, a trip starting at the Eiffel Tower and heading upstream, towards the Île Saint-Louis, passes in turn:

• the Pont de Bir-Hakeim and the Pont d'Iéna, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower;
• the Pont de l'Alma, then the Pont des Invalides;
• the Pont Alexandre III, then the Pont de la Concorde;
• the Léopold-Sédar-Senghor footbridge, the Pont Royal and the Pont du Carrousel;
• the Pont des Arts, then the Pont Neuf;
• the bridges around the Île de la Cité and the Île Saint-Louis, such as the Pont Saint-Michel, the Pont d'Arcole and the Pont Marie.

In the opposite direction, the sequence runs in reverse. If you would like a loop or a specific route, it can be set when the outing is organised, depending on the duration and the quay chosen. To complement this, our guide what to see from the Seine by boat describes the monuments that accompany these bridges.

When to photograph the bridges from the boat

Each bridge has its own light, and the choice of time matters as much as the choice of route. A few useful pointers:

• Late afternoon: the low light warms the stone of the Pont Neuf and gilds the ornaments of the Pont Alexandre III.
• At nightfall: the lamp posts come on and the bridges are reflected in the water, which suits the Alexandre III and the Pont des Arts.
• In the morning: the light is soft and the quays are quieter, ideal for metal structures such as Bir-Hakeim.

The exact time of sunset varies considerably with the season, as our article on sunset on a boat in Paris explains. For photos, stay outside when the boat passes under an arch: the vaulting effect is spectacular, but the passages are brief. A private boat lets you slow down or choose your departure time, something a regular cruise does not offer.