The Pont de Bir-Hakeim: what it is, its history, and how to get there from the 7th

Question

Accepted Answer

The Pont de Bir-Hakeim is a two-level steel bridge completed in 1905 between the 15th and 16th arrondissements: cars and pedestrians cross below, and metro line 6 runs above, on the Passy viaduct.

What you see

It is a two-storey bridge, and that is what makes it so photographed. Below, the roadway and pavements; above, the Passy viaduct, on which line 6 trains cross the Seine in the open air. It measures 237 m long by 24.7 m wide, in steel on masonry piers. It links Avenue du Président-Kennedy, on the right bank (16th), to Quai Jacques-Chirac and Quai de Grenelle, on the left bank (15th), and passes over the north-eastern tip of the Île aux Cygnes. The decoration is by Jean-Camille Formigé, who also designed the Austerlitz viaduct.

Its history in three dates

1878: a footbridge was built on this spot for the Universal Exhibition.
1903-1905: the current bridge replaced it; the footbridge was moved 30 m downstream during the works, then demolished in 1905.
1948: the Pont de Passy was renamed in memory of the Battle of Bir Hakeim, fought in Libya in 1942 by the Free French Forces.

It has been listed as a historical monument since 1986 and is part of the "Paris, Banks of the Seine" UNESCO World Heritage site.

How we get there from the 7th

From our home on Avenue Duquesne, we cross the Champ de Mars to the Seine, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. The Pont d'Iéna is there; the Pont de Bir-Hakeim is the next one downstream. Simply follow Quai Jacques-Chirac, the former Quai Branly. Our tip: go up onto the bridge, then walk down onto the Île aux Cygnes and follow it to the end. That is the walk we describe on our page about the island, and it pairs well with our spots for photographing the Eiffel Tower.