Despite its name — the "New Bridge" — the Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge still standing in Paris, completed in 1607 under Henri IV, whose equestrian statue stands at its midpoint. It was revolutionary in its day: the first Paris bridge built without houses crowding its sides, with pavements for pedestrians and semicircular bays where Parisians have stopped to watch the river for four centuries.
It crosses the Seine in two spans over the western point of the Île de la Cité, linking the Louvre side to the Left Bank. The stairs down to the Square du Vert-Galant at the tip make the obvious pairing — one of the best free views in the city.