The Pont au Change is a striking masonry bridge, 103 m long and 30 m wide, spanning the Seine and linking Île‑de‑la‑Cité (home to the Palais de Justice and Conciergerie) to the bustling Right Bank at the Châtelet. The current structure was built between 1858 and 1860 by engineers Vaudrey and de Lagalisserie, part of Haussmann’s grand Paris makeover, and bears Napoleon III’s imperial cipher.

Yet the site’s history goes back to the 9th century under Charles the Bald, when a wooden “Grand‑Pont” first connected Lutetia . In 1141, Louis VII decreed that money changers and goldsmiths establish their shops on the bridge – hence its name – turning it into a bustling medieval financial hub. In 1618, there were 54 money changers and 50 goldsmith workshops on its arches .

The bridge endured many disasters: floods in 1196, 1206, 1280, 1296, and a devastating fire in 1621. It was rebuilt in stone from 1639 to 1647 by its former occupants, becoming Paris’s widest bridge with seven arches and buildings atop. A monument to Louis XIII, Anne of Austria, and the young Louis XIV by Simon Guillain graced its summit – the bronze group now resides in the Louvre.

Between 1786 and 1788, the houses were removed, opening a majestic view over the Seine immortalized by painters like Hubert Robert and Corot. Revolutionary iconoclasm led to the removal of royal symbols . The bridge also witnessed grim scenes of condemned prisoners en route to execution at Place de Grève.

Today, Pont au Change is a vibrant urban passage, frequented by pedestrians, tourists, photographers, and Victor Hugo fans. It is here that Javert ends his life in Les Misérables, throwing himself into the Seine. Robert Desnos also honored the bridge in his poem, calling it the city’s nocturnal guardian.

Practically, the bridge is easily reached via Châtelet metro (lines 1, 4, 7, 11, 14). Admission is free, and the views, by day or night, of the Palais de Justice and Théâtre du Châtelet are splendid. The nearby quays host Paris’s iconic green bouquinistes stalls, a literary delight since the 17th century .