The Pont Faidherbe is a 507-metre iron bridge linking the island of N'Dar to the Sor mainland. Built in the 1890s, it is an impressive piece of Victorian engineering — a swing bridge with a central section that rotates to let river traffic pass. Walk across it in the late afternoon when the light is low and the fishing boats are out. It is the most photographed sight in Saint-Louis for good reason.
Pont Faidherbe
Victorian iron swing bridge linking island N'Dar to the mainland
A story
The bridge was designed by Gustave Eiffel's engineering company in the 1890s — the same firm responsible for the Eiffel Tower and the structural frame of the Statue of Liberty. It was originally built for a different location in Portugal, then redirected to Saint-Louis. After decades of decay it was restored in 2011, a rare piece of good maintenance news in a city that needs more of it.