PadloveHohenzollern Bridge, the love Cologne chose to keep
At the foot of the cathedral, the largest collection of vows in Europe.
On the Rhine, at the foot of Cologne's Gothic cathedral, the Hohenzollern Bridge carries tens of tons of love locks. Here, couples from around the world have come to say "forever." Padlove is its natural sequel: your love lock, with both your names, living on the map and never on the railing.
The story of the place
A railway bridge spanning the Rhine, the Hohenzollern stands in the shadow of Cologne's Gothic cathedral, one of the most visited sanctuaries in Europe. Its silhouette of iron and steel links the two banks and sees hundreds of trains pass each day, between the river and the stone spires.
Since the 2000s, its railings have become covered with love locks. Couple after couple, the ironwork vanished beneath the metal of these vows, until it formed the largest collection of love locks in Europe: tens of tons hung over the years.
Where Paris removed its own, Cologne made another choice. Deutsche Bahn and the city decided to keep the Hohenzollern's locks. The bridge thus became a rare living monument to the lovers' gesture, preserved rather than erased.
Why seal your love lock here
- Join the largest collection of love locks in Europe, without adding a single gram to its railings.
- Seal your vow at the foot of Cologne's cathedral, with both your names, forever.
- Carry on a gesture the city chose to keep, this time without ever weighing on the heritage.
Where Paris dismantled its locks, Cologne and Deutsche Bahn chose to keep those of the Hohenzollern Bridge. With Padlove, your vow stays legible forever, with both your names, without weighing down the railings.
Continue the journey
- Pont des Arts — The bridge of lovers from all over the world, made eternal.
- Pont de l’Archevêché — The narrowest of Paris bridges, the widest for hearts.
- Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor — From the Musée d’Orsay to the Tuileries garden, a pas de deux.