Pont de Flandre, a superb illustration of metal industrial architecture of the late 19th century

Pont de Flandre - Lift bridge
Pont de Flandre

The Pont de Flandre is a metal lift bridge.

The 20m long by 8m wide bridge is also known as Pont de la Rue de Crimée.

It spans the Ourcq Canal at the intersection of Rue de Crimée with the Bassin de la Villette.

It links the Quai de l’Oise to the Quai de la Marne.

The section of the bridge that is open to vehicular traffic has a cycle track, while the upper section is a fixed footbridge.

The Pont de Flandre is a perfect illustration of industrial metal architecture of the late 19th century.

It was commissioned in 1885 in order to replace an old swing bridge that obstructed the passage of barges.

The Pont de Flandre was the first hydraulic lift bridge in Paris.

It has also become one of the most picturesque bridges in the capital!

Renovation of the bridge

It was fully renovated in 2011.

Its original mechanisms were indeed in need of a long awaited upgrade!

Pont de Flandre - Lift bridge
Pont de Flandre – Lift bridge

The other issue was that it was connected to the drinking water network of the city.

It therefor required a massive amount of water each time it was in use … and it worked 900 times a year!

The renovation included the fitting of a complete modern hydraulic power system.

It was also a perfect opportunity to widen the lateral pedestrian sidewalks and upgrade the single cycle track into a two-way track.

The Pont de Flandre is the only lift bridge remaining in Paris.

Both the bridge and the footbridge were listed Historical Monuments in 1993.

The bridge is located in an enclave of 19th district that was fully renovated in the past few decades.

If you like nightlife, you’ll enjoy visiting the hotels and restaurants that were developed along the Ourcq Canal.

If you enjoy outdoors activities, you’ll love strolling along the banks because they’ve been converted into beautiful walks.

They are a prime location for anglers.

They’re also a perfect destination on a sunny afternoon.

You’ll indeed have the feeling of being in a small village, far away from the city pollution.

The river banks are very lively; they also served for occasional events and exhibitions, carboot sales and flee markets.

A Must See when in Paris!

Directions: 19th district – Rue de Crimée
Metro: Riquet, Stalingrad on Line 7 or Ourcq, Laumiere on Line 5
Coordinates: Lat 48.888360 – Long 2.379471

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