Why the most famous bridge in Paris has been turned into a cave

The Pont Neuf is arguably Paris’s most famous bridge. And now, it’s become a cave…at least for the time being.



Many historians, tour guides, and Paris afficionados like to point out that while “Pont Neuf” means “New Bridge”, it’s actually the oldest still-standing bridge in the city. But maybe the name stuck because when it was new, it was unlike anything Parisians had seen before.


 

Built from 1578 to 1607, the Pont Neuf was the first stone bridge to cross the Seine that didn’t have houses built on it. Yes, that’s right: It used to be common for houses, typically with shops on their ground floors, to be constructed along the lengths of bridges. You can see an example in this 1751 painting by Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Raguenet. The Parisian bridge depicted here is the Pont Notre-Dame (which has been rebuilt since and is a houseless, fairly unremarkable bridge today).


The Pont Notre-Dame in 1751. It was lined with houses, like all of the other bridges in Paris at the time…except for the Pont Neuf. (image source)

Walking or taking a carriage across the Pont Neuf literally offered viewers a new perspective, and this, combined with its convenient location in the heart of the city, as well as rather lax laws about where traffic, pedestrians, and livestock should be on a street, made it crowded most of the time -- in more ways than you might expect.

 

Here’s how I described a typical carriage ride across the Pont Neuf in the 1760’s in my novel Wolves and Brioches:


As usual, we were stuck in traffic, surrounded by merchants and water-bearers navigating the filthy ground. They wove around flocks of sheep and stray dogs, while carriage drivers cursed at one another and anyone else in their path. Now and then, in the rare moments when the noise was a bit less than a din, the cry of the man who sells oranges near the statue of Henri IV could be heard faintly on the wind.



This 1715 engraving by Nicolas Guérard depicts a particularly chaotic scene on the Pont Neuf:

(image source)

 

To be fair, this kind of scene wasn’t unique to the Pont Neuf. Many images of L’Embaras de Paris (the traffic and congestion of Paris streets) were made in the 18th century, set in different places in the city. 

While contemporary descriptions of Paris streets prove that these pictures weren't totally exaggerated, areas like the Pont Neuf may not have always been quite as crowded and chaotic. For instance, here's a more stately view of the Pont Neuf, painted in 1763 by Nicolas-Jean-Baptiste Raguenet:


(image source)


 

Walking on the Pont Neuf today is a bit different, to put it mildly. For one thing, the temporary shop stalls and the stairs from the bridge to the street you see in the engraving are no longer there. And the noise and chaos have pretty much vanished. There are always pedestrians on the Pont Neuf, sometimes even crowds, and cars speed carelessly down its center, but the shouts, merchants, and livestock are gone.

 

Here’s a photo I took a few months ago, from the same vantage point as the engraving:

 




One crowd that’s stayed on the bridge for most of its history are the mascarons, nearly 400 stone masks that line the Pont Neuf’s sides. Considered possible caricatures of public figures alive at the time the bridge was constructed, as well, possibly, as some of sculptor Germain Pilon’s friends and enemies, the mascarons left the Pont Neuf when it was entirely reconstructed in the 1850’s. Replicas were quickly put back in place. Each mascaron is different, but each boldly faces the waters of the Seine and the boats going past. You can almost imagine them talking in whispers or shouts, or maybe singing bold songs or imitating the old cries of the merchants who used to hawk their wares on the bridge.

 


As that mention of the bridge being entirely reconstructed implies, the Pont Neuf has experienced some changes through the centuries, and yet, if you traveled back in time to the day it was finished, you’d certainly recognize it. To me, this sameness is part of what makes Paris magical. It’s a modern city where the past is all around you and easily adapted to the present.

 

Its beauty is another thing that makes the Pont Neuf notable. The bridge’s beige stones blend perfectly into the iconic Parisian architecture around it, and its curving arches and round, roofless turrets echo the movement of the Seine and the grace of its surroundings.

 

It’s no wonder that the Pont Neuf is an iconic Parisian landmark, and a sight that many tourists and residents are thrilled to see, take photos of, and even glide beneath in a bateau mouche (long, low tourist boat).

 

But not all people are satisfied with a classic. In 1985, artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude received permission from the city to temporarily wrap the bridge in fabric as part of an art installation. The Pont Neuf was wrapped (but still walkable) from September 22-October 5 of that year. Though it didn’t last long, it’s become a famous and beloved cultural reference point among contemporary art fans.

 

Now, more than 40 years later, another artist was given the green light to temporarily transform the bridge.

 

On June 6, 2026, artist JR was supposed to inaugurate La Caverne du Pont Neuf (the Pont Neuf Cave), an installation piece that uses inflatable and printed fabric to make the northern span of the Pont Neuf look like it’s been transformed into a cave. Pedestrians are supposed to be able to walk through the cave, which has features like special lighting and music composed by one of the members of Daft Punk. The installation will be in place until June 28.

 

The Pont Neuf was specifically chosen to become a cave in homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s wrapping of it. But while the concept is odd and fun -- I mean, where else are you going to see a bridge covered by a giant cave? -- personally, it was hard for me to totally embrace it. As someone who longed to live in Paris for so many years, and who felt a true sense of magic when I would visit and see sites like the Pont Neuf, I can’t help but feel bad for tourists who might be making their only trip to Paris during the Pont Neuf’s cave transformation. Did they dream of seeing the Pont Neuf in all its usual beauty? Will they be upset to find that it’s now something entirely different?

 

There are people out there who would argue with me and say that we have to keep innovating, that things can’t always stay the same. But the Pont Neuf was doing fine on its own, adapting to our times with minor changes and its full beauty intact.

 

Luckily, I found out that while the project is talked about as if the entire Pont Neuf has now become a temporary cave, it’s actually only part of it. Visitors can still see the Pont Neuf in its usual state along its south span, and they can still see the famous statue of Henri IV astride his horse at the center point where the two spans meet.

 



Despite my misgivings, I did want to see La Caverne du Pont Neuf for myself. The installation is now a part of the city’s history, and also, I love weird and whimsical things. A bridge turning into a cave sounds like something out of some fantastical story. My 12-year-old son also thought it would be cool to visit.

 

And so, this past Tuesday, a few days after its official opening, I picked him up from school and we set off to see La Caverne du Pont Neuf for ourselves.

 

It turns out that we were in for a surprise...and not a good one.

 

Well, I will say that we were impressed by what we saw as we approached from the quais near the Cité Metro station. The printed canvass covering the inflatable installation really does give an illusion of a rocky landform.There just wasn’t much of it.

 


It turns out that while there were news stories everywhere about JR’s project, what’s happened to it in the past few days didn’t make major headlines, or at least, not on any of the sites or in any of the newsletters we read. According to Sortir à Paris, shortly before La Caverne du Pont Neuf was supposed to open to the public, high winds tore parts of the massive canvass coverings, leaving only the Caverne’s middle section intact.

 


You’d think that for an outdoor installation with cloth that could become detached, there would be a backup plan, but the torn canvass apparently can only be repaired somewhere in Bretagne, meaning it will take at least several days to get everything fixed and back in place.


 

My son and I were also disappointed to discover that the installation’s interior was closed to the public, despite the fact that the inflatable structure is intact.

 

The project, which was privately funded but did involve the city’s cooperation to shut down a pretty important transportation route while it was being installed and for the duration that it’s up, won’t be getting a prolongation. However long it takes to get La Caverne back to what it should be, and whatever happens after that, the city has said that it will be taken down on June 28, as planned.

 

So, with all this in mind, is La Caverne du Pont Neuf worth visiting?

 


My son and I may not have had the ideal experience when we saw La Caverne du Pont Neuf, but the part that was still intact was impressive. So, if you’re in Paris anytime from now until June 28, you may want to stop by and take a look.

 

And if you want to see the beauty of the actual Pont Neuf, head to the quais or another bridge nearby where you can see its southern span. Its timeless forms and bold mascarons are waiting for you there, now and hopefully always.

 

 ~~~

 

 


In 18th century Paris, a half-magic girl and a fashionable wolf save the city, and maybe the world, in a story of friendship, magic, and mouthwatering pastries.

Wolves and Brioches is currently available in Kindle and paperback formats and is part of the Kindle Unlimited Library. I hope you’ll give it a read!

If you do, I hope you’ll give it a read and share your honest thoughts in a review on Amazon and any other sites or social media platforms where you post. Reviews help books gain more visibility and credibility. Even a review of a short few lines can be incredibly helpful.


I hope you enjoyed this look at the Pont Neuf's past, present, and current cave transformation. I'll be back soon with more interesting and strange things to share about life during the Siege of Paris, as well as other moments in Paris’s fascinating history. Feel free to subscribe to this blog or follow me on Goodreads or Amazon to find out when I publish new posts. 

 

Thanks for reading and until next time!

  

~~

 

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A Beauty and the Beast retelling set during the 1870-1871 Siege of Paris, Hearts at Dawn has been selected as a Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice book. It's currently available in Kindle and paperback formats and is part of the Kindle Unlimited Library. 


 

 

 

 

 

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