Pont Alexandre III

There is no way of reaching the Grand and Petit Palais and not be struck by the beauty of Pont Alexandre III on the horizon. The bridge that stands at the end of the Winston Churchill Avenue that separates the two palaces. It was also built for the Exposition Universelle of 1900 as an integral part of the exhibition that would connect  the two palaces to the Hôtel national des Invalides on the other of the Seine.

A true epitome of Beaux Arts and Art Nouveau styles that stood out as the symbol of the Parisian Belle Époque, the 160 meters (length) and 40 meters (width) bridge has been the star of countless films and paintings to this day. Its foundation stone was laid by the last Tsar of the Russian Empire Nicholas II and was named after his father Tsar Alexander III as a symbol of the Franco-Russian alliance that was established in 1891 and lasted until the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917.

The four 17 meter-high pillars that stand on its edges are crowned with gilt bronze sculptures of the winged Pegasus held by the female figures of Φήμη, the ancient Greek goddess of fame. On the right bank the fame of sciences and the one of arts, on the left the fame of commerce and industry. On the arches above the Seine, cherubs, nymphs (at the center of the arch, and sea creatures complete the puzzle of the impressive bridge that is illuminated by exquisite Art Nouveau candelabras.

The views from the bridge whether to the west and Eiffel Tower, to the south towards the impressive Hôtel des Invalides, to the north towards the Grand and Petit Palais or to the east and the Louvre, are out of this world. It will be very hard for your camera to capture all the  beauty that surrounds you. Definitely a can’t miss.