Pont de l'Alma (Alma Bridge)
The Basics
Built to commemorate the Battle of Alma in the Crimean War, the bridge is perhaps better known these days as the site where Princess Diana tragically perished in a car crash in 1997. Admirers still place flowers, candles, and handwritten notes at the bridge’s northern end where a replica of the Statue of Liberty’s golden flame has become an unofficial memorial.
Walk across the bridge to view the Eiffel Tower and the mini forest that has been planted under it. If you have more time, take a dinner cruise or zip along the riverbanks on a Segway, dropping into nearby museums (Musée d’Orsay, The Louvre) and landmarks (Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde).
Things to Know Before You Go
- Alma Bridge is an ideal spot to enjoy an unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower.
- Pedestrian pathways are on both sides of the bridge.
- Look for the famous zouave statue on the east side.
- Fans of Diana may also pay respects at the Princess Diana Memorial Garden in the Marais.
Trip ideas
How to Get There
Alma Bridge connects the 7th arrondissement (Palais de Tokyo and Quai de Branly) to the 8th arrondissement (Place de l’Alma and the Champs-Élysées). Take Métro line 9 to Alma-Marceau on the right bank, or the RER C to Gare du Pont d’Alma on the left bank and walk a few steps to reach the bridge.
When to Get There
Visit the bridge when the sun is rising or setting for the best photo opportunities of the tower and the river. Peak season in Paris is June through mid-September, with most tourists arriving in the summer.
The Zouave Statue
When Alma Bridge opened in 1857, four statues of soldiers decorated its sides at water level:xa0 a grenadier, a skirmisher, an artilleryman, and a zouave. During the Great Flood of 1910, the water rose to the zouve’s shoulders, and thereafter, the 17-foot (5.2-meter) statue became a popular way to mark the river swell. In the 1970s, the stone bridge was entirely replaced with a steel one, and the zouave was the sole statue to stay, having already been firmly embedded in Parisian folklore and immortalized in song.
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- Paris Sewer Museum (Musée des Égouts de Paris)
- Crazy Horse Cabaret
- Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris
- Les Ombres Restaurant
- Palais de Tokyo
- Quai Branly Museum (Musée du Quai Branly)
- Guimet Museum (Musée Guimet)
- Champs de Mars
- Paris Sewer Museum (Musée des Égouts de Paris)
- Discovery Palace (Palais de la Découverte)
- 58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant
- Eiffel Tower
- Paris Aquarium (Aquarium de Paris)
- Avenue des Champs-Élysées
- Pont Alexandre III