Couples who hoped to eternalise their love in Brussels with a love lock are in for a heartbreaking surprise.
At Place Poelaert, diagonal to the well-known Ferris wheel, is a short bridge that connects the square to two lifts. In addition to providing easier access to the area, the glass lifts are often interesting because of the view they offer of the Brussels skyline.
However, this reporter has typically been more drawn to the actual bridge. There is no metaphor or poetic reasoning behind this; I am simply scared of heights, and usually crossing the bridge - while holding onto the handrail for dear life - means I am closer to more solid ground.
Bridge on Place Poelaert, on 21 August 2025. Credit: The Brussels Times/Rita Alves
Anyone who, like me, has walked the bridge very closely to the railing, will have spotted the occasional love lock, a lock often left behind on bridges to “lock” the love between two people.
While very far from being something like the locks once found at Pont des Arts in Paris, there were enough locks that a passerby would notice. That was until last week Thursday.
It wasn’t me
As I rushed to a meeting around 10:00 on 21 August, I spotted three men with yellow safety vests with a cutting tool at the top of the elevators. When I returned about an hour later, the men were gone, as were the locks, safe for a small red-heart-shaped one hidden by the gate to the bridge.
Had it been any other month, perhaps the story would end there, but it was August, and the summer season tends to allow for more lighthearted pieces. But as I worked on the story, I found more questions than answers.
Love lock on the bridge on Place Poelaert, on 21 August 2025. Credit: The Brussels Times/Rita Alves
The Brussels Times contacted the municipality of the city of Brussels, the transport operator in charge of the lifts, STIB-MIVB, Brussels Mobility, and the local police zone. All of them confirmed they were not involved in this heartbreaking act.
On the off chance the Brussels regional government decided to break locks instead of the political deadlock, The Brussels Times also contacted the cabinet of outgoing minister of mobility and public works, Elke van den Brandt.
“The management of the lifts at Place Poelaert, the bridge and the associated rental spaces is the responsibility of STIB. I am currently liaising with them to direct you to someone who can answer your questions,” read a response from a spokesperson for the outgoing minister.
The problem was that STIB had already confirmed to The Brussels Times that it was not responsible for the maintenance of the bridge. In other words, back to square one.
Love persists
It would not be the first time that love locks have been taken down by authorities. Famously, in Paris, love locks proved to have a destructive potential after the weight of hundreds of padlocks caused damage to the fence on Pont des Arts around a decade ago.
Nonetheless, in the case of Brussels, the question is not only why but also who?
Having run into a dead end with the Regional authorities (among others), in a last-ditch effort, I turned to the Brussels-Capital Region's construction group, Beliris. As of the time of publication, The Brussels Times has received no response.
While I await more (or any) answers, it seems that lovers passing by the bridge will persist. On Friday, on my daily commute, I noticed two new love locks dangling proudly on the railing by Place Poelaert. I suppose, where there's a will, there's a way; and maybe where there's a bridge, there'll be a love lock.
Locks on the bridge on Place Poelaert, on 29 August 2025. Credit: The Brussels Times/Rita Alves
