A Symbol of Love, Locked in Time

Thinking of pledging your love on Valentine’s Day? Consider the time-honored tradition of applying a padlock to an historic bridge to assure your love of your eternal fidelity! 

The tradition of attaching “love locks” to bridges and landmarks is a relatively recent but globally embraced ritual of public devotion. Couples engrave their initials or names onto a padlock, fasten it to a bridge, fence, or gate, and toss the key into the river below—symbolizing a love that is unbreakable and eternal.

Though often romanticized, the practice has prompted controversy over its environmental and structural impact. Yet despite this, it continues to attract thousands of couples each year, often becoming an essential stop on romantic getaways and honeymoon tours.

Where Did It Begin?

The origins of love locks are traced back to Serbia during World War I, where a local legend speaks of a schoolteacher named Nada, who fell in love with a Serbian officer. The two met regularly on a bridge in Vrnjačka Banja, but he later fell for another woman during the war and abandoned Nada—who died of heartbreak. In memory of her, local women began writing their names and those of their beloveds on padlocks and attaching them to the same bridge to protect their relationships from a similar fate.

This poetic but somber beginning evolved into a widespread tradition in the 2000s, notably popularized in Paris and spreading to cities across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and beyond.Over the years, several celebrities have embraced the love-lock tradition, helping to elevate it into a global romantic ritual. Most famously, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West placed a padlock on Paris’s Pont des Arts, joining thousands of couples symbolically sealing their love above the Seine. Other stars like Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk were spotted near love-lock bridges during romantic trips, while rumors suggest that David and Victoria Beckham may have done the same. In South Korea, K-pop idols and actors have participated in the tradition at N Seoul Tower, further popularized by romantic K-dramas. Whether confirmed or inspired by fiction, these celebrity moments have helped solidify the love-lock as a modern expression of public affection.

Where to Find Them–Global Love Lock Bridges and Landmarks

Pont des Arts – Paris, France

The most iconic love-lock bridge, Pont des Arts, became globally famous in the 2000s as thousands of couples fastened padlocks to its railings and tossed the keys into the Seine. It became so overloaded that in 2015, officials removed over 45 tons of locks to prevent collapse.

Unique features: Became a pilgrimage site for honeymooners and celebrities, including Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Glass railings now prevent new locks.

Hohenzollern Bridge – Cologne, Germany

This railway and pedestrian bridge welcomes love locks along its fences with open arms. Tens of thousands of couples have contributed to the colorful mosaic of padlocks.

Unique features: City authorities support it; the view of Cologne Cathedral enhances its romantic appeal.

Mt. Huangshan – Anhui Province, China

Lovers affix engraved locks to mountaintop chains and toss the keys into the gorge below. The climb and ritual reflect the spiritual significance of commitment.

Unique features: Locks are often blessed and adorned with red ribbons, rooted in Taoist symbolism.

Luzhkov Bridge – Moscow, Russia

This bridge features metal “love trees” installed specifically for padlocks. When trees fill up, new ones are added—an artistic and city-supported adaptation.

Unique features: Trees are illuminated at night, turning the act into public art.

Most Ljubavi – Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia

The original “Bridge of Love” and birthplace of the tradition. Couples still visit to honor the legend of Nada and Relja.

Unique features: Modest but rich in meaning; celebrated especially on Valentine’s Day and Serbia’s Saint Tryphon’s Day.

Butchers’ Bridge – Ljubljana, Slovenia

A surreal mix of romantic and grotesque. Steel and glass construction with bronze statues creates an eerie but artistic environment for love locks.

Unique features: The city embraces it fully; statues by Jakov Brdar make it visually unforgettable.

N Seoul Tower – Seoul, South Korea

Love locks decorate the fences and rails around this landmark tower. Nearby shops sell heart-shaped locks, and couples often take photos and leave notes.

Unique features: Frequently appears in K-dramas and K-pop videos; a key location in Korean pop culture.

Budapest, Hungary – Erzsébet tér & Liberty Bridge

In Erzsébet Square, a designated love-lock structure allows couples to attach their locks without harming historical architecture. Others favor Liberty Bridge and Chain Bridge, which span the romantic Danube River.

Unique features: The act of tossing the key into the Danube unites lovers symbolically across the historic divide between Buda and Pest.

Prague, Czech Republic – Charles Bridge & Mala Strana

Though not officially allowed, the Charles Bridge and nearby canal railings in Mala Strana are popular love-lock spots. The city sometimes removes locks, but the tradition persists.

Unique features: With its gothic towers and river views, even a small lock here feels monumental.

Newcastle & Derbyshire, United Kingdom

In Newcastle, locks are placed on High Level Bridge, while in Bakewell, Derbyshire, about 40,000 locks adorned the Weir footbridge before removal due to safety concerns. These locks are being relocated to Thornbridge Hall, preserving their romantic value.

Unique features: The Bakewell locks now live on as part of an installation with a “love lock bench” and permanent display.

Derby, UK – Cathedral Green Footbridge

Another UK love-lock hub, where thousands of padlocks line the rails near the city’s iconic cathedral.

Unique features: Continues to grow as a regional destination for wedding proposals and anniversaries.

United States – Various Sites

• Brooklyn Bridge, NYC: Despite being discouraged and cleared regularly by city workers, lovers persist in placing padlocks.
• Loveland, Colorado: Themed sculptures for love locks are integrated into the town’s public art program.
• San Angelo, Texas and Canfield, Ohio: Feature creative installations, like a giant rooster sculpture and steel cages designed for locks.

Unique features: The U.S. trend leans more toward public art integration than bridges, blending community involvement with romantic expression.

Reflections on a Modern Folk Tradition

From sacred mountains in China to steel bridges in New York, love-locks have become a modern form of emotional graffiti—public, symbolic, and intensely personal. While some cities have banned them outright, others have reimagined them through artful infrastructure and romantic urban design. They represent more than just a trend—they are rituals of permanence in an impermanent world, merging the spontaneous with the ceremonial, the private with the public.

If so moved, create your own love-lock tradition this Valentine’s Day!

What We Wear to Welcome Love

Just as couples choose where to lock their love, they often choose what to wear with intention. In Paris and Prague, proposals near love-lock bridges often involve formal wear and photography. In South Korea, themed dates to N Seoul Tower include matching outfits. Whether in bridal white, casual denim, or culturally symbolic dress, what people wear during these rituals underscores the seriousness and celebration of their commitment.

Recommended Reading

Historic Novels

• Ho Voglia di Te (I Want You) by Federico Moccia
  Though not featuring love locks as a central plot device, this popular 2006 Italian novel (and its 2007 film adaptation) is widely credited with popularizing the practice on Rome’s Ponte Milvio—inspiring a generation to affix padlocks in the name of love 
• Love Locks by Cory Martin (based on the Hallmark film)
  A lighthearted romance set in Paris. The story follows Lindsey, an art student who reconnects with a former love on the Pont des Arts—where a love lock they placed years ago had accidentally fallen into the river 
• The Secrets of Love Story Bridge by Phaedra Patrick
  In this novel, a city maintenance worker whose job is to remove padlocks becomes drawn into a romantic entanglement when he rescues a woman who has fallen from a bridge while attaching a lock—blending love, loss, and unexpected connection 
• Seduced by the Soldier by Melia Alexander
  Includes a vivid homage to the Hohenzollern Lock Bridge (Cologne), with the protagonist incorporating the scene into the narrative as both setting and romantic symbol.
• Love: A History by Simon May
  Explores how love is ritualized across centuries and cultures, illuminating practices like love locks.
• The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm
  A psychological examination of love as an active practice, offering depth to the emotional impulse behind love locks.
• Public Art: Theory, Practice and Populism by Cher Krause Knight
  Investigates how urban spaces evolve through public expressions—perfect for understanding how love locks become incidental art.
• A Lover’s Guide to Rome by Mark Lamprell
  This gorgeous romantic novel set around the beautiful sights of Rome tells the story of three couples and their adventures with love in the eternal city.
• Paris, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Downby Rosecrans Baldwin
  A modern memoir about love and place, with plenty of reflection on romantic customs in the City of Light.