*long post alert.*
This picture is taken from Pont de l'Archevêché, another bridge in Paris like Pont De Art that has gained a bit of fame for being the spot where lovers attach padlocks (love locks) to the bridge as a symbol of their love and devotion for each other. 🤔
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Before getting into the main issue, let’s know lil bit more about the origin of this tradition. You will be surprised to know that this tradition is not originated in countries like France or Rome. Rather the tradition started in a little Serbian town, Vrnjačka Banja.
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In 1914, a local schoolmistress named Nada fell in love with a Serbian officer named Relja. After they committed to each other, Relja went to war in Greece, where he fell in love with a local woman from Corfu. Eventually Relja broke off their engagement. Nada never recovered from that devastating blow, and after some time she died due to heartbreak.
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Since then young women from Vrnjačka Banja wanted to protect their own loves, and they started writing down their names, with their loved ones, on padlocks and affixing them to the railings of the bridge where Nada and Relja used to meet. These days many touristic cities also have lovelock bridges. 😑
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I am personally opposed to this tradition. I mean really, what you gonna do with such love that you have to lock down to protect? Or is it just show off? In either case, I find this tradition very fake. 😑
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This tradition need to stop! Really! Because they are becoming dangerous! Doesn’t matter how cute the bridges look, but this is pure vandalism of public property. Adding all those metal locks to a bridge that was built to hold and carry a certain weight creates structural damage and also the risk of the bridge collapsing into the river. What a thoughtless act to do! If you must show off your love, then use your own property. 🤷♀️
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The government of Paris started to remove these padlocks since 2015, and requesting and restricting everyone from doing it! But Alas! When did we listen to the reason, right? Our thoughtless romanticism causing havoc on those bridges. 🤦♀️
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PLEASE let’s all be responsible travellers. I would really like to know your opinion on this issue.
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