The Pont de la Concorde was constructed during the turmoil of the French Revolution. It is incredible to think that part of it is built with stones taken from the liberated Bastille prison. That occurred on the 14 July, 1789. The view from this bridge towards the Champs Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe is spectacular. It is Napoleon’s adopted part of Paris in a sense.
I continued my stroll towards the Pont Alexandra III. It is a very elegant bridge that is regarded by many as the most ornate in Paris. Built at the beginning of the twentieth century to mark the conclusion of the Franco Russian alliance in 1892.
It is named after the Tsar who was instrumental in achieving the agreement. The bridge was a marvel of engineering construction at the time. It supports four massive gilt-bronze statues that overlook all life going on beneath them.
The view across the bridge towards the Hotel des Invalides from the right bank is iconic. It stands for everything that has made the Paris City centre so very photogenic.
I turned west towards the Eiffel Tower crossing two bridges along the way, the Invalides and the de la Alma. Paris was taking on a more serious tone. The character now was one of affluence, commerce and serious economic affairs. My target was the Pont d’Iena leading to the vast steel base of the tower itself.
I stood for a few moments at the end of the bridge on the right bank close to the French national broadcasting headquarters.
The sheer scale and imposition of the Eiffel Tower from this position is almost intimidating.
It was a very grand conclusion to my tour of the Seine bridges. I crossed over, stood under the base of the tower and looked up. The sight of the heavy engineering, precision and architectural skills was breath taking.