Posted on
February 10, 2012
in
Photos
A recent romantic phenomenon that seems like an old-world tradition can be viewed on bridges, fences, and railings around the world. Padlocks called “love locks”, inscribed with couples’ names, first appeared in Rome on the Ponte Milvio, or was it on the Most Ljubavi in Serbia? There are enough different theories on how they started that we'll probably never know for sure. We do know that they're generally not popular with authorities seeking to maintain the architectural heritage or structural soundness of the infrastructure they're affixed to. In a testament to love, or the unstoppable force that is tourists, the locks often return after any official removal.
Love 'em or hate 'em, they truly are a world-wide phenomenon. IgoUgo members have observed love locks everywhere from the Great Wall in China to the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC. Here's fizzytom's summary of them, starting with the Butchers' Bridge in Ljubljana:
"The thing people most associate with the Butchers' Bridge is something that is not actually part of the design. Soon after it opened, couples started to attached customised padlocks to the cables of the bridge; if you've been to Paris you may have seen something similar on the Pont des Artes (this also happens in Pecs in Hungary, and on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence; it also used to happen in Moscow but the authorities have now prevented couples attaching locks to the Luzhkov Bridge by adding some thick iron bars). Some people have even attached their padlocks to some of the animal sculptures. I love the way that something that was never intended to be here has become the thing that most visitors stop to look at; it makes the bridge a very democratic piece of architecture that feels very much as if it belongs to the people of Ljubljana.”
Share any sightings you've had in the comments, especially if you added a lock with a special someone yourself!
At the Love Wall in Verona, Italy
Namson Tower in Seoul, South Korea
Photo by evo2887. Note the sign: DO NOT THROW YOUR KEY AWAY
Pont des Arts Bridge near the Lourvre in Paris, France
Along the trail in Cinque Terre, Italy
At the Natural Bridge in Zhangjiajie, China
Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy
On the bridges of New York City, USA
Bastion Hill Park in Riga, Latvia
At the Great Wall, north of Beiging City, China
Butchers' Bridge in Ljublijana, Slovenia
By Anna Welch (eyesoftheworld)