The Pont de Pierre is the oldest bridge across the Garonne in Bordeaux, a long, low line of 17 brick-and-stone arches linking the old town to the La Bastide district on the right bank. Napoleon ordered it, Louis XVIII finished it in 1822, and for almost 40 years it was the only way to cross the river here without a boat.
The Pont de Pierre at a glance
- Where: between Place Bir-Hakeim and the Porte de Bourgogne on the left bank and Place Stalingrad in La Bastide on the right bank.
- Built: started in 1810, built mainly from 1819 and opened in 1822; listed as a historic monument in 2002.
- By: the engineers Claude Deschamps and Jean-Baptiste Billaudel.
- What it is today: a 487-metre bridge reserved for trams, bikes and pedestrians (and, outside works periods, buses and taxis); cars have been banned since the late 2010s.
- Time needed: 20 to 30 minutes to walk across and back, longer if you linger on the quays for the view.
A bridge nobody thought could be built
For centuries the Garonne cut Bordeaux off from the right bank: the river is wide, its current strong, and the tide here rises and falls by about six metres. Travellers crossed by ferry. Projects for a bridge were drawn up in the 1770s and abandoned, and it took Napoleon, who needed to move troops quickly towards Spain, to order a crossing. Work began in 1810, but money ran out and the bridge was finished only under Louis XVIII, between 1819 and 1822. Some 4,000 workers took part, and a diving bell borrowed from the British helped set the piers in the riverbed.
Part of the cost was raised privately by a company founded by the merchant Pierre Balguerie-Stuttenberg, which charged a toll in return. When the city bought out the toll in 1863, it was allowed to absorb La Bastide, which became part of Bordeaux on 1 January 1865. The bridge was widened from 14.6 to 19 metres in 1954 and was the only road bridge in the city until the Pont Saint-Jean opened in 1965.
What to look for
- The 17 arches resting on 16 piers, a rhythm you see best from the quays rather than from the bridge itself.
- The materials: despite its name, the Stone Bridge is built of pale stone and red brick, which gives it its warm two-tone look.
- The white medallions on the piers, meant to carry the monogram of Louis XVIII, the king under whom the bridge was completed.
- The tide: watch the water racing upstream or downstream under the arches, depending on the hour; the Garonne is still tidal here.
- The view from the middle: downstream to the façades of the Port de la Lune and Place de la Bourse, upstream to the Pont Saint-Jean.
The Napoleon Bonaparte legend
A favourite local story says the bridge has 17 arches because there are 17 letters in Napoléon Bonaparte. It is a legend: the plan originally had 19 arches, and two were dropped in 1819 for reasons of cost and engineering, when Napoleon was long gone. The story stuck anyway, and you will hear it on almost every guided tour.
Tips for your visit
- Cross at sunset, or after dark when the arches are lit and reflected in the river.
- For the full profile of the bridge, walk a little along the right-bank quays near Place Stalingrad and look back at the old town.
- Watch out for bikes and trams: cyclists use the bridge as a main commuting route, so keep to the pedestrian side.
- A long restoration began in 2025 and is planned to last several years; sections can be narrowed and trams are sometimes suspended, so check before you go.
Nearby
- Porte de Bourgogne: the 18th-century triumphal gateway at the left-bank end of the bridge, built as the entrance to the city from Paris.
- Basilica of Saint-Michel and its bell tower: a Gothic church with a free-standing tower, a few minutes' walk upstream.
- Place de la Bourse and the Miroir d'eau: the classic riverside square with its reflecting pool, a pleasant walk downstream along the quays.
- The Blue Lion on Place Stalingrad: a large blue lion sculpture by Xavier Veilhan, right at the right-bank end of the bridge.
See Bordeaux with World City Trail
Our Bordeaux scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around three hours, with about 49 minutes of walking. It includes places such as the Saint-Pierre district and the Cathedral of Saint-André.
If you prefer a different format, Bordeaux also has a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game.
Play the Bordeaux scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Bordeaux →
Play the outdoor escape game in Bordeaux →
Facts checked in October 2026.