Pont de Pierre (Stone Bridge)
The first bridge built over the Garonne in Bordeaux, with its seventeen stone-and-brick arches.
History
Before the Pont de Pierre, there was no way across the Garonne in Bordeaux except by ferry. Work began in 1810 under Napoleon I, stalled for lack of funding when the Empire fell, then resumed in 1818 with the help of a private company working alongside the State. Designed by engineers Claude Deschamps and his son-in-law Jean-Baptiste Billaudel, the bridge opened on 1 May 1822 under Louis XVIII. Some 487 metres long, it has seventeen stone-and-brick arches, carried on piers founded on hundreds of piles driven into the riverbed. It links the city centre to the district of La Bastide on the opposite bank, which was absorbed into Bordeaux in 1865. Since 2018 it has been reserved for trams, buses, bikes and pedestrians.
What to see there
- The seventeen arches, seen from the quays or from the bridge itself
- The view of the quayside facades and the river while crossing on foot
- The tram crossing the bridge
- The view towards La Bastide, on the right bank
Our tip
Cross it on foot at the end of the day, as the light drops over the Garonne: the view of the quays is at its best then.
On our walks
- Saint-Michel and the quays — 1h45 · 3.7 km
Nearby addresses
- Julo — 11 rue des Faures — Quality snacking two steps away. Ideal for a quick, well-made lunch. 📍
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