Alexandre III Bridge
This point of interest is available as audio on the tour: Visit Paris, On the Champs Elysées
You’re now in front of one of the most beautiful bridges in Paris, offering a stunning view of the Grand Palais with its gilded statues in the foreground. If you look the other way, you’ll get an equally impressive panorama of The Invalides. But the Alexandre III Bridge is more than just a pretty backdrop for souvenir photos. It was built for the 1900 Paris Exposition to celebrate the newly signed Franco-Russian military alliance. It’s a monument to the ties between two powerful nations. No expense was spared on gold and elaborate decorations. In this case, it was go big or go home! The engineers in charge of the project were given a list of requirements as long as your arm. For example, the bridge had to be flat enough for the Hôtel des Invalides to be visible from the Champs-Élysées, yet high enough for boats to pass underneath. That, my friends, was a real head-scratcher. But the gamble paid off, and today we have this remarkable 107-meter bridge with a single arch spanning the Seine. It’s truly an architectural gem! The bridge is listed, of course, as a historical monument.
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