Outside the Barrage Vauban
The Barrage Vauban is one of the major landmarks here in Petite France in the city of Strasbourg. The barrage is basically something that acts like a dam, holding water and controlling the water level within the dammed area. Actually, the Barrage Vauban was built for defensive purposes. The designer, Vauban, thought of using the water held by the barrage as a weapon in case of an invasion. By releasing the water held by the barrage, it will flood the plains that are downstream from the barrage thereby stopping any attack. The Barrage Vauban actually succeeded the Ponts Couverts which surround the Grande Île.
Inside the Barrage Vauban
It is possible to walk to the Barrage Vauban. To get there you need to leave the Grande Île. At the time of my visit, there is a checkpoint to enter the Grande Île. You get past the checkpoint and head to the bridge looking structure which is Barrage Vauban. The structure itself is unremarkable. I imagined that this is what the covered bridges would have looked like, had they still been there. The barrage covers the width of the river below it. I don’t know if the barrage itself is still functional, after all, it doesn’t serve any defensive purpose now. Going in, you can see that the barrage is very straight. Immediately, my eyes were drawn to the stairs to the left and I wondered where it would go.
[xmlgm {http://www.worldwanderings.net/kml/BarrageVauban.kmz} zoom=19]