From Paris to New York, the proof of one’s love has been locked and sealed on several bridges all over the world. The practice, which has now become a symbol of commitment, began almost a century ago in Serbia’s Most Ljubavi bridge, located in the city of Vrnjacka Banja. Since then, it has sprouted across multiple European cities and beyond. It has even become a postcard image for romantic destinations like Paris and Rome.

But does love weigh the city’s architectural beauty down? In 2014, when the Pont des Arts railing in Paris collapsed under the weight of the locks, it led to the removal of over a million globally. From representing a promise of forever, it soon came to be seen as vandalism and even littering. Authorities in Florence also criminalised the practice in 2005, where attaching a padlock to the medieval Ponte Vecchio (also the oldest bridge in the city) invited a €50 fine. Now, the question remains: does love need to be locked after all?