Add a review about the Vauban Dam and the Covered Bridges

Marshal Sebastian Vauban was an outstanding military engineer of the 16th century, not by hearsay familiar with the artillery case, and brilliant tactician. On his account - the construction of more than 30 fortresses and the reworking of about 300 existing ones. For the border area, which was (and is still) Alsace, the defensive fortifications were very important. Here there was the notorious Maginot Line, and dam (dam) Vauban has become an important part of it.

special interest Gallery is due to the fact that it kept the statues and gargoyles that were dropped from the Strasbourg Cathedral of Notre-Dame.

The dam was built after Strasbourg became part of France in 1681, and was distinguished by a clever system of locks in 13 arches. When attacking Strasbourg, they could be blocked, and at a critical moment - to free the road to water. In this case, all the low-lying southern territories near the city would have been flooded, and the enemy's army would inevitably be bogged down there, as in a swamp. Next to the dam Vauban, additional fortifications were built around the watch towers, which were already in the vicinity of five.

On summer evenings, bridges with towers are beautifully illuminated, and the lights of the illumination are reflected in the course of the Ile River. Choosing a strategic place for dinner nearby, you will not only absorb the historical atmosphere, but also get excellent photos.

The dam itself is something like a bridge with a covered room - a gallery . Anyone can go from one side to the other without any payment . Today there are exposed interesting exhibits, including the installation of modern . But of particular interest is in the gallery because it kept the statues and gargoyles that were dropped from the Strasbourg Cathedral of Notre-Dame during French Revolution and earlier, during the Reformation . Many of them have suffered greatly from this treatment, but still striking to behold the remnants of its former dignity and thoroughness of execution .

Watchtowers, reinforced by Vauban, were not fine, and concrete structures, strong, sturdy and rude in appearance . They were connected to each other by so-called Covered (sometimes say "hanging") bridges . All the towers already by that time had a long enough history and even own names . In Chains Tower was set up for women, and the Tower of Henry - male prison . At the nearby Cape Henry to the Tower is a tower Hans von Altgeyma, and together they form the most typical kind of covered bridges . French tower was used until the 18th century as a garrison brothel, and then turned into a prison and its . The farthest from the dam and the last tower - the Tower of the Executioner, and what was happening in it completely corresponded to its sad name .

The funny thing is that, unlike initially with roofs of bridges, watchtowers at first roofs did not have. In the Middle Ages on their peaks was just a flat platform, where they exhibited patrols. Later, with the construction of the Vauban dam, the bridges no longer carried the main defensive function and therefore lost their roofs, and the towers, on the contrary, acquired those. However, in other respects their appearance in modern times practically did not change.

In the 19th century the Chain Tower burned, creating some confusion: at first glance it seems that there are three towers left. The Tower of the Executioner does not fit into the overall panorama, because it is not on the shore, but in the distance, and bridges to it are not summed up.

The covered bridges, like the towers themselves, were built in the 13th century and from the very beginning had wooden roofs, where they came from. However, since then the bridges have been rebuilt many times, in the 18th century the roofs were dismantled, and in the 19th century the bridges themselves were completely rebuilt, making them stone. The covered bridges are perfectly visible from the dam of Vauban, and from the bridges the city center is perfectly visible. This also makes them one of the most popular attractions in Strasbourg.

Watchtowers and Covered Bridges: the onset of the evening