Attraction · Paris · Updated on 1 November 2026.

Pont au Change in Paris

Pont au Change is an attraction in Paris, France. This place has an audio tour of about 2 minutes, in English or Dutch. 16 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km. Within 370 m you'll find a public toilet, a bench, a water point and a bike pump.

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The story

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Audio tour · Pont au Change

2:03

You're standing at the Pont au Change, the bridge linking the Île de la Cité to the Right Bank of the Seine. On one side you've got the Conciergerie and the Palais de Justice, on the other the Place du Châtelet. Take a look at the sides of the bridge. See that big letter N? That's for Napoleon III, not his more famous uncle. The bridge was built during his reign, between 1858 and 1860.

Read and hear the whole story in the Outdoor Pitstop app: check in at this place and it is yours (with Pro; new users are Pro for the first 4 weeks).

Opening hours and admission

Wheelchair: Accessible

Source: OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.

Photos

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

1 / 10

Photo: ignis · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Pont au Change in Paris: a bridge over the Seine

The Pont au Change is a bridge over the Seine in the centre of Paris. It links the Île de la Cité with the right bank of the river. Its name comes from the money changers who once had to live and work here. In Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, Javert jumps from this bridge into the water. In Het Parfum by Patrick Süskind, the perfumer Baldini has his shop here. You will find the Pont au Change in Paris between the Place du Châtelet and the Île de la Cité. Nearby are the Pont Neuf (379 metres), La Samaritaine (433 metres) and the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris (473 metres).

What you can see from the Pont au Change

As you stand on the bridge, the Conciergerie is on one side, and the Place du Châtelet is on the other. From here you have an open view over the water of the Seine, because there are no longer any little houses on the bridge. Take a look at the sides of the bridge, where you will see a large letter N. It stands for Napoleon III, not for his famous uncle. Walk to the railing and look downstream. There you can see the Pont Saint-Michel, which was built in the same style as this bridge. The paintings by Hubert Robert in the Musée Carnavalet show the old bridge with its houses.

The history of the Pont au Change

The Pont au Change has stood on this spot since the ninth century. The Grand Pont crossed the wide branch of the Seine. In the middle of the twelfth century, moneychangers and goldsmiths were ordered to live and work on the bridge, and jewellers soon followed. The little shops stood so close together that you could no longer see the river from the bridge. Bridges on this site were lost to fire, floods and drifting ice. In 1621 the bridge burned down, and the merchants paid for a new stone bridge with arches, designed by Androuet du Cerceau. Around 1647 it was the largest bridge in Paris. In 1786 the houses were demolished. The bridge you see today was built between 1858 and 1860, under Napoleon III. It was designed by the architect Paul-Martin Gallocher de Lagalisserie.

Toilets, drinking water and benches nearby

The bridge has plenty of places to rest or refill your supplies. The nearest public toilet to Pont au Change is 76 metres away, at Parc Rives de Seine - Georges Pompidou, and it is free to use. There are 18 public toilets within 500 metres. Drinking water is found 112 metres away at Quai de la Corse - Pasquale Paoli, and 19 water points stand within 500 metres. Benches are also easy to find: the closest is 80 metres away, at Quai de la Mégisserie, and 227 benches are within 500 metres. The nearest bike pump is 371 metres away, at Boulevard de Sébastopol, and it is the only one within 500 metres.

Walking and more to see near Pont au Change

From Pont au Change, you can reach other places in central Paris within a few minutes on foot. After 379 metres you reach the Pont Neuf, and after 433 metres La Samaritaine. The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris is 473 metres away. The Centre Pompidou is a museum 594 metres from here. If you want to keep walking, you reach the Musée du Louvre after 893 metres. The Institut du Monde arabe is also a museum, at 1,154 metres. At all of these places, you can listen to an audio story in the Outdoor Pitstop app. There is also a 2-minute audio story about Pont au Change itself, which you listen to on the spot, while you stand on the bridge.

Facilities near Pont au Change

The nearest pitstop of each kind within 1 km, as the crow flies. No honesty box within 1 km.

Well-known points of interest nearby

50 well-known points of interest nearby, those with an audio tour first. 16 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km.

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Sainte-Chapelle · 200 m

Photo: Mathae · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Pont Neuf · 380 m

Photo: Rmrfstar · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

La Samaritaine · 430 m

Photo: Adrian Scottow · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Cathedral of Notre Dame · 470 m

Photo: P e z i · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

MuseumAudio story · 2 min

Centre Pompidou · 590 m

Photo: Zairon · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Hear the story of Sainte-Chapelle on the spot with the app

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Frequently asked questions

Where is the Pont au Change in Paris?

The Pont au Change connects the Île de la Cité with the right bank of the Seine. On one side you can see the Conciergerie, and on the other side the Place du Châtelet.

When was the Pont au Change built?

The current Pont au Change was built between 1858 and 1860 under Napoleon III. The large letter N on the sides of the bridge refers to him.

Where does the name Pont au Change come from?

The name comes from the money changers who lived and worked here. A royal decree required money changers and goldsmiths to live and work on the bridge.

Is there a toilet near the Pont au Change?

Yes, the nearest public toilet is 76 metres from the bridge, at Parc Rives de Seine - Georges Pompidou, and it is free. There are 18 public toilets within 500 metres.

Is there drinking water near the Pont au Change?

Yes, the nearest water point is 112 metres from the bridge, at Quai de la Corse - Pasquale Paoli. There are 19 water points within 500 metres.

Are there benches near the Pont au Change?

Yes, the nearest bench is 80 metres from the bridge, at Quai de la Mégisserie. There are 227 benches within 500 metres.

Nearby

More well-known points of interest nearby

Pont au Change in Paris

The story

Opening hours and admission

Photos

Pont au Change in Paris: a bridge over the Seine

What you can see from the Pont au Change

The history of the Pont au Change

Toilets, drinking water and benches nearby

Walking and more to see near Pont au Change

Facilities near Pont au Change

Well-known points of interest nearby

Sainte-Chapelle · 200 m

Pont Neuf · 380 m

La Samaritaine · 430 m

Cathedral of Notre Dame · 470 m

Centre Pompidou · 590 m

Also within walking distance

Explore further

More in Paris

More points of interest

Frequently asked questions

Nearby

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