Padlocks are hardly beautiful objects and seem like an unlikely candidate as a symbol of love and romance. These rather utilitarian objects are used for practical applications like securing your belongings in your high school locker or safeguarding your checked-in luggage from would-be thieves at the airport.
Yet padlocks have become an international symbol of love and romance. You’ll find sites the world over in places like a pedestrian bridge in Frankfurt, another bridge in Prague, and even a tower in Seoul. Appropriately dubbed “love locks“, you’ll find them on all sorts of public fixtures such as bridges, fences, and gates. The locks are placed by couples who’ll write their names on them in order to publicly promise each other an everlasting, until death-do-us part, crazy kind of love.
As lovely as the sentiments are, these lovelocks have had unfortunate consequences. In Paris, people threw the keys from their love locks into the river below, harming marine life. The same bridge where they were placed got so heavy, that the bridge actually collapsed. Locals in various destinations are fiercely against the placement of love locks in certain locations because of the potential danger they represent and what’s more, some even feel love locks are an eyesore that takes away from the beauty of a place. At times, there’s been a backlash when city officials have tried to dismantle a love lock from other locals who support them.
Fortunately, in Budapest, the love locks are done right.
Lock In Your Love With These Budapest Love Locks
I stumbled across this pile of love locks at a park while walking about Budapest. At first glance, it didn’t seem pretty. Looking closer, you start to notice that some locks really are pretty – like the giant heart-shaped one in our featured image above. Others decorated their love locks with hand-drawn or even, engraved hearts.
What’s refreshing here is that the love locks aren’t harmful to their surroundings, and they don’t pose any danger, as the love locks are placed on a metal object surrounding a tree.
While I could have easily walked past this little public work of art, I happily spent 15 minutes photographing it and pondering the stories of all the couples behind the locks. Just who are Emi and Laci? How did they meet? How long have they been together?
Call me a sucker for romance, but whenever I see love locks, I feel really happy. It’s heartwarming to know that each and every lock represents two people’s love for one another.
What do you think of these Budapest love locks? Would you leave a statement of love there for your soulmate? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Location
You’ll find this grand statement of love in Erzsébet Square, on the Pest side of the city.
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- Photos Of The Chain Bridge In Budapest At Night – See photos of the Chain Bridge in Budapest, Hungary on a dark and foggy night. Spanning across the Danube, the bridge connects Buda and Pest.
- Travel to Hungary and Spend A Weekend in Budapest – Spend a weekend in Budapest. Visit well-known sites, as well as off-the-beaten-path ones, sleep in a boutique hotel, and eat and drink locally.
- Visit These Cool Places in Budapest, Hungary – A mini-guide to Budapest that features eight cool places in Budapest, be it coffee shops, ruin bars, and community art spaces.
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I’m so with you! While not inherently pretty, I think this tradition is so romantic. One day, I’d like to leave my own padlock at the bridge in Rome that started it all, Ponte Milvio.
Cheryl, this is great! Perhaps we should start a photo(blog) compilation of places with love-locks! 🙂
Did you see the same on the Hohenzollernbrücke in Köln? I took some shots of the Liebeschlösser there in September.
Thanks again for your post!
Love these! There’s a whole fountain dedicated to them in Montevideo – must be so many stories…
@Sabrina – It’s very romantic. I wouldn’t mind placing my own padlock somewhere someday. 😉
@fotoeins – No, didn’t see the one in Cologne. There’s prob already a Tumblr blog about that … lol.
@Andrea – Cool about the fountain in Montevideo. I’d love to see that!
Great photos! You have captured some really interesting Locks there! 🙂
Surprising to me that those cities would try to take down these displays. I think they are great. I have never come across one but hope to some day.
Wow! I only knew of the one in Uruguay. I suppose there’s probably a lot more out there that I don’t know about. This is so darling and very cute. Its nice to know that there are still romantics in the world.
@LoveLocks UK – Thanks!
@Stephanie – Me too. I think they’re awesome and are a great testament to the power of love. Cliched I know … but it’s true.
@Sherry – they’re all around the world and I love it! 🙂
@Wanderlusting – they seemed ugly to me at first but I now see it differently. And you’ll love Budapest!
While not beautiful it is the sentiment that matters. Thanks for the advice. We will definitely look this up while we are in Budapest soon.
Wow, so many padlocks. I believe I saw something like this in Verona too.
I just get confused as to why there are different bridges in Paris that all have the padlocks on them! Where is the real place to leave them haha.
@Sam – they’re everywhere! 🙂
@Cole – leave one lock on each bridge to be sure your love is really “locked in”.
I think these kinds of sites are lovely, but strangely enough we didn’t see any of the ones in Budapest while we were there!
@Christy – this site doesn’t really stand out so it’s very easy to miss. The locks were affixed to a fence surrounding a tiny tree in a park that I walked pass when on my way to towards the Buda side of town. I was fortunate to come across this little bit or loveliness! 🙂
@Laurel – me too! <3
So romantic and I would love to know the stories behind each one.
Wow! too cute, I would love to see these and imaging the stories would be so cool.
@Caz – isn’t it just lovely? I just love the romance behind the whole thing!
hi I am travelling to Budapest next month my boyfriend he got us a love lock for valentines we where hoping to place it in Budapest but where exactly should we leave it? thank you
Hi Kirstie –
First of all, cool you’re going to Budapest. I’m actually going to be there next weekend. 🙂
And it’s so sweet that you plan to put a love lock there. I updated the post above with the location of the park. You’ll find the lovelocks attached to a fence surrounding a tree.
Have a great time and all the best!
Cheryl
My love locks story. My beautiful girlfriend of 4 years was in Budapest this April on a university course she saw the tree with the love locks and loved it, she said we must come together to see it, her birthday was in June I was set to ask her to marry me on her birthday but family problems made it a bad time so I delayed it but now we have recently split up so as the hopless romantic I am I travelled alone to this spot and placed our love locks on the fence with our engagement ring attached to it, then I sent her the key, she has no idea what the key is for and she probably never will but I will and I’ll always love her x
Thanks for sharing your story! No matter what happens, at least you enjoyed your time together.
My wife and I are traveling to Europe next month for our 20th wedding anniversary. We first learned about love lock bridges on an episode of the Amazing Race and think that they are very romantic gestures. We’ll be placing our own engraved love lock on the Budapest bridge and also bought an identical copy to display at home.
Hey Brian – I’m not sure you’re permitted to leave love locks on the bridges in Budapest! They are stunning bridges that would look terrible with the addition of love locks.
Kindly don’t do it! The locks are a danger to marine life in the Danube, has potential to ruin the structure of the bridge, and has a high chance of being removed by local authorities.
The location referenced in this article is not a bridge, but an approved place – a grate surrounding a tree in a park where no harm can be done. Perhaps place your lock there instead? 🙂
Wish you a splendid vacation and happy anniversary!