"Laços de Amizade" bridge

Aveiro is a seaside town in central Portugal, located between Porto and Lisbon. The city is nicknamed "the Portuguese Venice" because it is crossed by many canals, on which boats painted with bright colors, the "Moliceiros", circulate.

In order to move easily on foot through the streets of the center, many small bridges span the canals. The Ponte do Laços de Amizade, literally "the bridge of friendship" in english, is one of them. Located in the heart of the city, its particularity is to be covered with thousands of colored ribbons. These pieces of fabric are hung there by couples or friends, to symbolize their union. The names of the two people must be written on the ribbon before being tied around the bridge. A nice alternative to padlocks, more colorful and less heavy for the building. 

This bridge is also a strategic place to admire the parade of moliceiros on the canal, or to reach the Aveiro Forum, a large open shopping center.