Alexandre III Bridge

The Pont Alexandre-III

The Paris audio-guided tour takes you onto the Pont Alexandre-III, often considered the finest in the capital, which offers a magnificent perspective between the Grand Palais and the Invalides.

A bridge for the Franco-Russian alliance

The Pont Alexandre-III was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900, to celebrate the military alliance recently sealed between France and Russia; its name pays homage to Tsar Alexander III. A symbol of the link between two great powers, it had to be grandiose: there was no skimping on gold or ornaments. The specifications were a challenge: the Invalides had to remain visible in the alignment of the bridge from the Champs-Élysées, without the structure cutting the horizon, while letting boats pass. The challenge was met with a single arch of one hundred and seven metres spanning the Seine. The bridge is listed as a historic monument.

What there is to see

The Pont Alexandre-III dazzles with its gilded statues, its elaborate lampposts and its sculpted groups, in a setting of rare sumptuousness. On one side, the view runs towards the Grand Palais; on the other, towards the dome of the Invalides. Its low arch, a technical feat of 1900, makes it a veritable architectural gem and one of the most photographed viewpoints of the Seine.

Practical information

The Pont Alexandre-III spans the Seine between the Champs-Élysées and the Invalides, in the 7th and 8th arrondissements of Paris. It can be walked freely on foot at all hours and offers, on the level, superb viewpoints over the Seine and its monuments.

Why was the Pont Alexandre-III built?

For the Universal Exhibition of 1900 and to celebrate the military alliance between France and Russia; its name honours Tsar Alexander III.

What makes the bridge so singular?

Its single arch of one hundred and seven metres, designed very flat to preserve the view of the Invalides from the Champs-Élysées, and its exuberant gilded decoration.