About This Location
Look along the curve of stone and water - despite its name, Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge still standing across the Seine in Paris. It was begun in 1578 and finished in the early 1600s under King Henri IV, built to connect both banks by skimming the western tip of the Île de la Cité. Notice how wide it feels compared to older bridges nearby. That width was a revolution in itself: Pont Neuf was designed without houses on top, with real sidewalks for pedestrians, and with little rounded “bastions” where people could step aside, watch the river, and let traffic pass. In the 1600s, this was not just a crossing - it was one of Paris’s best public stages. Now look for the faces. Along the sides are 381 carved stone masks - each one different - staring down at the Seine with expressions that range from comic to unsettling. They are called mascarons, and once you spot the first, it becomes hard to stop scanning for the next one. At the point where the bridge meets the island, pause by the bronze rider: King Henri IV. The original statue was placed here in the early 1600s, destroyed during the French Revolution, and the version you see today was recast and installed in 1818 - a reminder that Paris keeps rewriting its symbols, then putting them back again. Before moving on, glance down to the very tip of the island just below. That small wedge of green is Square du Vert-Galant, named after Henri IV’s nickname, and it is one of the loveliest little “secret” viewpoints on the Seine when it is open and not flooded. Pont Neuf is not only a bridge - it is a front-row seat to Paris.