Ponts Couverts and Medieval Towers

The Ponts Couverts (Covered Bridges) and their medieval towers form one of the best-known landmarks of La Petite France, on the western edge of Strasbourg's Grande Île in the Grand Est region of France. Three bridges cross the divided River Ill, and four square towers stand beside them, remains of the city's 13th- and 14th-century fortifications. The bridges were originally roofed with timber, which gave them their name, but the covering was removed in the 18th century and only the name survived; the present bridges are built of stone. The towers are constructed of pink Vosges sandstone with thick walls, narrow openings and battlemented tops, and once served as watchtowers, prison cells and part of the defensive system that guarded the river entry to the city. The site is on the edge of the former tanners' quarter, where the waterways powered mills and trades. The towers have been restored over the years, and bombardments in 1870 and 1944 damaged the quarter, which was rebuilt afterwards. The towers themselves are usually closed to the public, but their exteriors are accessible at all hours and viewable from the bridges, from the quay and from the neighbouring Barrage Vauban terrace, which offers the best panorama. The adjacent canals, locks and half-timbered houses make this one of the most photographed sections of the old town. A walk across the bridges connects the Rue des Moulins and Rue du Bain-aux-Plantes with the Quai de la Petite France. At night the towers are lit, and the area is also served by boat tours that pass beneath the bridges and through the lock at the western end of the quarter. The setting shows how the medieval city used its rivers for both commerce and protection: the towers guarded the water entrance, while the channels below supplied the mills and workshops of the quarter. Together with the neighbouring weir and the half-timbered houses, the bridges form a compact ensemble that explains the character of this part of the old town.