Pont Neuf

The Pont Neuf features a series of stone arches decorated with three hundred and eighty-one unique carved masks called mascarons. Despite the name meaning New Bridge, it is the oldest standing bridge across the Seine in Paris. King Henry the Fourth insisted on a design without the houses that cluttered older Parisian bridges, leaving the view of the river unobstructed. During the sixteenth century, the bridge served as a bustling social hub where dentists pulled teeth and performers entertained crowds atop the stone piers.