This phenomenon really intrigues me. Declaring your love for someone by locking a padlock onto a bridge is such a bizarre concept, but it has really taken off! Frankfurt was the first place I’d been where I saw it in person, we walked up the steps to the Eiserner Steg bridge, and on a fairly grey day, I suddenly noticed all these tiny multi-coloured things glinting back at me! We then spent about 45 minutes examining them all, aiming to find the oldest ones (harder to find as they are underneath the newer ones!) It was 1 degree, so these little locks were FREEZING to touch, but we warmed up with a hot chocolate afterwards!
This article has some amazing pictures and a little bit of the history, and of course wikipedia has more info!
The writing on this is SO small (& German) it must’ve taken ages to do! But there are websites that you can order specially personalised padlocks from! I only found this out from researching the thing, but they’re very pretty! More articles here too
I think it so amazing that each padlock tells a story of the couple, the blue one above signifies 70 years… where did they meet? where are they from?
Unfortunately some authorities don’t like the idea, like Paris because they think it will damage the structure/paintwork (they may have a point, but what spoilsports!)
As we had no idea that there was a bridge to which you could click your padlocks on, we used the one from Sam’s suitcase, and some nail polish that I had drunkenly purchased the night before, and DIY’d it! We saw the bridge on the first day of our trip, and took a walk back there on the last day to affix our own!
We then ceremoniously flung our keys into the river Main, and hoped that a fish didn’t eat them and get a squiffy belly. 
How awesome is this tree in Moscow. Unfortunately google cant seem to find any pictures of UK padlock locking locations, do you know of any?
s this too lovey-dovey for you? Ever etched yours and your loved ones initials into something, think back to your teenage years… & what’s the biggest declaration of love anybody has ever made for you?!
I have heard about this before, I think it is so lovely. x
WOW! I cant believe there are so many!! In Bruges one of the bridges there had two padlocks on it!! We did consider buying a lock especially, but then I decided against it! Love these ones tho! xxx
Oh wow I’d never heard of this, it’s such a fab concept. It makes me want to go there just to add a padlock 😛 x
Guess who jumped on a new computer?! 😀 WHOOPAAA!
I love this idea – sooo cuuute. Think we should start our own UK ones! A guy in a band once wrote a love song about me and used to dedicate it to me at every gig. He was a dick though. haha. x
I love this, I hope to come across one one day!
Caroline x
Caroline’s Catwalk
I definitely think we need to do this along brighton pier or something! Me and dan are planning on doing it when we go to rome 😉 xoxo
Wow that is such a beautiful idea :] xx
You’ve reminded me I have some photos of these locks too. I was fascinated by all the different ones and also bemused to learn that every few months the Paris city officials cut them all off and recycle them as there are too many!!
I hadn’t mentioned this ’til you mentioned it before. I had no idea people would make so much effort with the decor, so romantic! Would love to find somewhere here to add my own one day.
So many padlocks!
I love this! I think it looks better than regular graffiti or tree carving (yep, been there done that) It’s very sculptural.
Hmmm. Biggest declaration of love ……. a marriage proposal I guess! 😀 xx
I spent ages looking at all the padlocks in Paris. I loved it!
Suzi x
Oh wow, I LOVE this idea! I saw this on a film but cannot for the life of me remember which one – This is going to annoy me all day!
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Awesome. I have seen the Love Locks in Prague – such a special place for so many. Will be travelling in Frankfurt later this year – will have to go find them here!
There ARE a few locks now on Brighton pier if you look carefully………