Pont de Pierre

The Pont de Pierre stretches across the Garonne River with exactly seventeen stone arches. Napoleon Bonaparte ordered its construction during the early nineteenth century to move his troops toward Spain, and the number of arches honors the seventeen letters in his name. Workers struggled against the river’s powerful currents and deep silt for years, eventually using diving bells to reach the bedrock. It connects the historic city center to the right bank, serving as the first stone bridge ever built in Bordeaux.