Vauban Dam

You’re now standing in front of the Vauban dam. The moment Strasbourg became part of France, Vauban, French military engineer and Marshal of France, was requisitioned to upgrade the city’s defenses. He thus built a large wall around Strasbourg, and this dam to reinforce the covered bridges that had admittedly fallen into disrepair with the modernization of warfare. In addition to being a classic defensive building, it’s also a large canal lock. Vauban was a clever man; he wasn’t the king’s engineer for nothing! Under each of the 13 arches, there are iron panels that can open and flood the southern part of the city, making the terrain impassable. Perfect to block the enemy, who’d be stuck in the swamp. This strategy was particularly useful during the siege of Strasbourg in 1870, even though the city eventually surrendered after the fortress was taken. In later years, the German authorities raised the dam by one storey and covered it with grass. In 1966, the municipality decided to build the large panoramic terrace you’ve hopefully just visited.