Discovering the history of the Ponts Couverts in Strasbourg

A historical look at one of the emblematic monuments of the city of Strasbourg

Remains of Strasbourg's ancient ramparts

In the picturesque district of Petite France in eastern France, everyone knows about these bridges in a row. But do you know their history?

Spanning the Ill canal, the Ponts Couverts are lined with sturdy stone towers. They were created to protect the city's river traffic in the mid-14th century. They are covered with a tiled roof, which gives them their name: the covered bridges.

Over the years, the wood of the pillars was replaced by sandstone and portcullises were installed to reinforce the defence of the monument. This is not the case. The new weapons are stronger than this modernisation. The towers were then transformed into a prison and place of torture until the middle of the 19th century.

The disappearance of their roof in the 18th century

The defensive role of the Ponts Couverts was no longer relevant. They were demolished in 1783 to become footbridges for traffic. It was at this time that they lost their roofs. It was not until the end of the 19th century that the bridges were rebuilt in stone.

Today, they still appear as such. One of their stone towers was lost in a fire, but the remaining three were classified as historical monuments in 1968.

The Ponts Couverts were then recognised as an emblematic heritage of the city of Strasbourg.

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Facing the train station, our 3-star hotel in Vendôme offers you a perfect location to discover the city on foot. In a serene atmosphere, relax in one of our carefully decorated rooms.

A lounge-bar awaits you to relax between two business meetings or after a day of shopping in the city centre.

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