Pont Neuf, bridge across the Seine in Paris

Paris, France — Pont Neuf (New Bridge), the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris, viewed from the Latin Quarter on the Rive Gauche (Left Bank).

Beyond the bridge are the western end of the Île de la Cité and the hotels and townhouses along Quai des Orfèvres.

At far left is the statue of the bridge’s builder, King Henri IV, on horseback, cast by sculptor Francois-Frederic Lemot from an original mold of the previous statue, destroyed in 1792 at the height of the French Revolution. The statue is the centerpiece of a romantic little tear-drop-shaped park at the very tip of the island dedicated to Henri IV, the Square du Vert-Galant (Gay Blade). The park is a favorite spot for marriage proposals.