Day Trips: Love Locks in Texas

Love locks cover the fence around Prada Marfa, the sculptural art installation outside of Valentine in West Texas.

Lovers have attached hundreds of padlocks to the heavy iron fence separating the livestock from the tourists. Etched with the couples' names or initials, the locks symbolize each pair's inseparable devotion.

According to legend, the practice of love padlocks began during World War I when a couple in Serbia proclaimed their unbreakable love by attaching a lock to Most Ljubavi (Bridge of Love). It's a wonder the tradition took hold, because he eventually ran off with another woman.

From there the ritual spread across Europe and the world. The most famous love lock bridge is Pont des Arts in Paris, where the weight of the locks was blamed for the collapse of part of the bridge.

Of course, no good tale goes unclaimed by Texans.

San Antonio has the Kallison Love Lock Walk Bridge on the River Walk a block from the county courthouse where marriage licenses are issued.

The bridge at Carolyn Promenade Lake off East Las Colinas Boulevard in Irving was made famous when two contestants of a reality dating show went to the bridge to pledge their love.

Paris (Texas) and Houston each have two love lock bridges. El Paso has a love lock stair railing leading to a scenic overlook. The Oasis Restaurant on Lake Travis will sell you a padlock to add to its love lock fence.

One of the more unusual takes on the love lock tradition is at the Calera Chapel near Balmorhea. Here, lovers write their names on rocks and place them around the foundation of the wedding chapel.

See our list of love lock sites around Texas for more.

1,639th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere: Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.