Locks of Love
It seems that locks aren’t just simply used to keep property secure from theft and vandalism any more. For decades now a custom has slowly been creeping across the world whereby loving, romantic, and sometimes superstitious couples have decided to write messages on padlocks, attach them to certain landmarks in specific areas - more often than not railings and fences - and then throw away the key. The practice, as well as symbolising a couple’s unending love for each other, is in some countries thought to bring good luck to a relationship. Below are some amazing examples.
Cologne, Germany — The 406 metre Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne; a structure that has been slowly covered in padlocks since the romantic trend reached the city in 2008, much to the annoyance of local government.
Prague, Czech Republic — A small pedestrian bridge that crosses the Vlatva river in Prague, covered in padlocks.
Pecs, Hungary — The famous lock fence of Pécs in Hungary, where the practice is thought to have begun, in Europe at least, back in the 1980s. Area officials were quickly forced to designate this particular spot ‘love lock friendly’ in a bid to curb the rampant placement of lock in other areas when the trend took off.
Moscow, Russia — The unique love lock trees of Moscow, found on the city’s Luzhkov Bridge. The majority of these locks are placed by newlyweds, as the practice is thought to bring good luck.
Seoul, South Korea — Literally thousands of lovers’ locks can be seen attached to the fencing that surrounds Mt. Namsan’s N Seoul Tower in Central Seoul. There even exists a special bin in which to place keys following the accumulation of hundreds around the fence.
Korakuen, Japan — A colourful wall of locks, all attached by couples, can be found in an amusement park in Korakuen, Japan. Korakuen is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, and is located in Tokyo.
Wroclaw, Poland — A stunning view of Tumski Bridge in the Polish city of Wroclaw. The bridge has recently become a love-lock-laden site.
Montevideo, Uruguay — A fountain in Montevideo, Uruguay. Attached is a plaque which reads,”The legend of this young fountain tells us that if a lock with the initials of two people in love is placed in it, they will return together to the fountain and their love will be forever locked.”
Guam, USA — The love-locks of Puntan dos Amantes (Two Lovers’ Point) in Guam, a picturesque and incredibly romantic spot that overlooks the ocean.
Rome, Italy — The famous padlock-covered lamppost of The Milvian Bridge in Rome, Italy. Since 2006, lovers have attached initialled locks to the post and then thrown the keys into the Tiber river as a sign of their love.
Huangshan, China — Just one of the many chain fences of Yellow Mountain in China; nearly all of which have been slowly covered in love-locks by romantic locals and tourists alike – particularly newlyweds.
Odessa, Ukraine — Over the past few years Teshin Bridge in Odessa has become home to hundreds of lovers’ locks. For the curious, ‘Teshin’ translates as ‘Mother-in-Law’.
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