Paris's oldest bridge is called the New Bridge, which tells you something about French humour.

The Pont Neuf was completed in 1607 and introduced two revolutionary ideas: sidewalks to protect pedestrians from horses and mud, and no houses cluttering its span. Henri IV wanted an unobstructed view of the Louvre, and for once, royal vanity served the public good.

The bridge quickly became the social heart of Paris. Charlatans, fire-eaters, booksellers and pickpockets worked its length, and it even had its own gallows. Street vendors allegedly invented French fries here after the Revolution, selling fried potatoes from carts. The 381 stone masks decorating its sides, each depicting a different mythological creature, were meant to ward off evil spirits.

VoiceMap's self-guided audio tours explore the bridge's revolutionary design and its unlikely role as the birthplace of Parisian street life, from the early booksellers who became ancestors of today's bouquinistes to the founding of La Samaritaine department store nearby.