The Tradition Of “Love Locks” Did Not Start In Paris

Many people would be shocked to hear that the custom of using love locks didn't truly originate in Paris. But given that Paris is more frequently connected with love locks than any other city in the world, it's simple to understand why the majority of people could have believed such.

Where else would this practice have originated if not in Paris? The custom of fastening padlocks was created in a tiny Serbian town as a result of a failed romance between two young lovers named Nada and Relja. The young women in the town decided to start locking padlocks with their names and those of their lovers on the "bridge of love" and then tossing the keys into the river as a sign of a lifetime commitment without infidelity because the relationship failed due to Relja's infidelity, which broke Nada's heart. Later, as a symbol of love, everyone in the town and in Serbia began to lock padlocks, and this practice quickly spread throughout Europe.

However, Paris, the city of love, took the lead in the practice of tying padlocks to the bridges that so many people believed to be the source of this beautiful pastime.