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Love padlocks are a custom by which sweethearts affix padlocks to a fence or similar public fixture to symbolise their love.
Beginning in the 1980s, in the centre of the southern Hungarian city of Pécs, lovers began to clamp padlocks to a wrought-iron fence in a narrow street linking the mosque in the city's main square and the magnificent medieval cathedral, as a symbol of their commitment to one another. However, after the fence was completely covered and no more padlocks could be added, couples, both locals and tourists, began attaching them to fences and statues throughout the town centre.
Local authorities organised several attempts to discourage people from attaching the padlocks, by putting notices discouraging the activity throughout the town and removing the padlocks as vandalism. More recently, a new iron fence was added near the original one to provide a legal site for couples to attach love padlocks, similar to walls set aside by authorities in some cities for use by graffiti artists.[1]
On top of the mausoleum in Baja, Hungary, hundreds of love padlocks are attached. Probably encouraged by the example of Pécs, lovers of Miskolc, Hungary, have started to fasten padlocks on the fence of the bridge at Szinva Terrace in Miskolc, a city in the northern part of the country.
Similar customs exist in Riga, the capital of Latvia, where married couples clamp padlocks on the railings of a bridge and throw the key into the lake below.
In Florence, Italy, love padlocks have been affixed to the railing around and near the statue of Benvenuto Cellini located at the centre of the Ponte Vecchio. The same happens in Rome, Italy, on Ponte Milvio, in Ventimiglia, Italy on the Passerella Squarciafichi between the old town and the new part of the town and in Turin, Italy, in several parts of the city. Perhaps the most famous example in Italy takes place on the Via Dell'Amore, a path connecting the towns of Manarola and Riomaggiore in the Cinque Terre. The pathway's legend holds that it was a meeting place for lovers from the two towns, and is now a favorite site for tourists to place their locks and throw the keys into the sea.
Love padlocks can be seen in Guam's "Two Lovers' Point" (Puntan dos Amantes). Couples would usually affix the lock to the metal barrier on the viewing deck overlooking the ocean, usually with their names on it or even important dates.[2] A variation of this is the use of plastic bag tags[3] that are sometimes purchased at the nearby souvenir shop when a conventional padlock is unavailable.
A fountain in Montevideo, on Avenida 18 de Julio a few blocks east of Plaza Independencia, is designated for love padlocks. A plaque is affixed to the front of the fountain that provides an explanation in both English and Spanish. The English version of the text reads, "The legend of this young fountain tells us that if a lock with the initials of two people in love is placed in it, they will return together to the fountain and their love will be forever locked."
This ‘wish lock’ phenomenon is spreading across the world, with the custom rapidly growing in Taiwan. In Fengyuan the location is a train station overpass where the young afix padlocks engraved with wishes of love, and future success. It may be attributed to magnetic fields. [4]
Along a fence on the ground terrace attached to the North Seoul Tower on Mt. Namsan in central Seoul, hang hundreds of locks are hanging representing the love of their owners. The keys for the locks are often thrown away as an ensurance the sweethearts’ vows to never separate. Due to the danger posed by thrown keys, the tower operator has posted warning signs and provided a "key bin" for their disposal.
The practice has also gained sudden popularity in Tokyo, Japan among young couples, and padlocks are appearing all over the city, especially around teen hang outs.
Nearly every metal chain-link fence or metal pole in Mount_Huang, China has been adorned with padlocks [5], where it is customary to 'lock your soul' together and then throw the key over the edge of the cliff into the misty valleys below. It is suggested that the custom of 'locking a padlock and throwing away the key' probably originated in China [6]
Love locks have started appearing on the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne, Germany. Deutsche Bahn, the bridge's operator, threatened to have the locks removed, but relented in the face of public opposition.[7]
In Kiev love locks can be found on a pedestrian bridge over Volodymyrsky uzviz near the National Philharmonic building.
The "Mother-in-law" bridge close to the sea port has many love locks along its length.
Padlocks can also be found adorning the bridge "Puente Isabel II" connecting the historic center of the city with the Triana, Seville neighborhood.
Love padlocks can be found on Västerbron.
Love padlocks can also be found in Bruxelles, near on the south-west corner (near the lakes) of "La Place Flagey, Ixelles".
Love padlocks can be found on a small pedestrian bridge over a sidearm of Vltava in front of a water wheel. The name of the street is "Velkoprevorske Namesti".
   | Article about the Pécs site, with photo - GotOrion.com - bored? |
| | Pécs city guide with photos - Sulinet: Csavargó Béci városkalauza VI. - Pécs |
| | Erika and Márk, Pécs - Padlocks with names and hearts on Flickr - Photo Sharing! |
| | Ponte Vecchio, Florence, photo - DSC_0145 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! |
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