Alma Bridge

Alma Bridge

Alma Bridge is an arch bridge over the Seine River in Paris, measuring 153 meters in length and 42 meters in width. It is named after the Battle of Alma (September 20, 1854) during the Crimean War, in which the Allied forces of Britain and France defeated the Russian army.

The Alma Bridge was originally constructed between 1854 and 1856, and was inaugurated on April 2, 1856, by Napoleon III. At that time, each pier of the bridge was adorned with statues of military figures: light infantry, grenadiers, chasseurs, and artillerymen. For Parisians, the bridge also served as a flood gauge and dam during Seine River floods, thanks to its light infantry statue. When the Seine's water level reached the feet of the light infantry statue, pedestrian access to the riverbanks was closed. When the water reached the thighs of the statue, river navigation became impossible. During the great Seine flood of 1910, the water level rose to the shoulders of the light infantry statue. However, the French authorities used the Pont de Tournelle, rather than the Alma Bridge, as the official marker for flood levels.

Between 1970 and 1974, the bridge was completely rebuilt because it was too narrow for the increasingly heavy traffic. Only the light infantry statue was retained during the reconstruction. The chasseur statue was moved to the Fort de Gravelle in Vincennes, the grenadier statue was relocated to Dijon, and the artillery statue was moved to La Fère. On August 31, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, and her companion Dodi Al-Fayed died in a car crash near the Alma Bridge. Today, the flame of the Statue of Liberty at the northern end of the bridge has become an unofficial memorial site for Princess Diana.

Pont de l'Alma

Reason to visit: One of the most famous arch bridges over the Seine River in Paris

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: France[France]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Île-de-France Region [Ile-de-France Region]

City where the attraction is located: Paris [Paris]