Surprising facts about the Seine

Pont Neuf bears a name that contradicts its age: it is the oldest bridge still standing in the capital. Pont de l'Alma was completely rebuilt in the 1970s after its predecessor weakened. Pont Mirabeau inspired one of the most famous poems by Apollinaire.

Along the banks, the booksellers' stalls form one of the largest open-air libraries in the world. They are a UNESCO-recognised heritage, listed as part of the banks of the Seine. 

On Pont de l'Alma, the Zouave statue still serves as a popular reference for measuring the level of high waters. During the great 1910 flood, the river reached such heights that Parisians used the statue as a benchmark.

The Statue of Liberty in New York has a smaller sister in Paris, anchored at the southern tip of Île aux Cygnes. The original copper plates of the New York monument were even forged not far from the Seine, before crossing the Atlantic. 

• Banks of the Seine listed by UNESCO
• Replica of the Statue of Liberty on Île aux Cygnes
• Pont Neuf: the oldest still standing
• Zouave statue on Pont de l'Alma: informal gauge