Ponts Couverts: the three towers of the old walls

The name misleads: the bridges have not been covered since 1784, when the wooden roofs that sheltered them were taken down. What remains are the square sandstone towers, survivors of the city's first stone wall, planted where the river Ill splits into four arms.

There were four of them originally, raised in the thirteenth century along with the bridges, between 1230 and 1250. Three are left: the fourth, the Malzenturm, was pulled down in 1869 after a fire. The survivors owe their escape to a second life as prisons.

What to see

The line of towers and walkways is best photographed from the terrace of the Barrage Vauban, fifty metres away, which gives you the distance you need. Close up, you can pick out the arrow slits and the marks of the portcullises that once closed off the arms of the river.

When to go

Late in the day, when raking light takes the sandstone head on, or at night: the whole set is floodlit and the quarter empties. The crossing is free at any hour and the site never closes.

What is right next door

The Barrage Vauban and its free panoramic terrace, La Petite France five minutes to the east, and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art directly opposite on the far bank.

Sources: the official Ponts Couverts factsheet on strasbourg.eu (four towers originally, three still standing, thirteenth century, the Malzenturm demolished in 1869), the removal of the roofs in 1784, Google Maps data collected in July 2026 (rating, reviews, address). Hours and prices change: check the day before you visit.