The Canals on Sauvage Street

In the historic heart of the city, some remnants recall the former presence of water. Three of the four canals of the Ill that once surrounded the southern part of the urban area are still referenced here: their paths are marked on the ground, as is the location of the old Basel gate, situated between Cordiers Street and the Demi-lune passage. These waterways, once named Trankenbach, Karpfenbach, and Mittelbach, were gradually filled in over time.

The covered passage of the theatre, built in the 19th century and the only one of its kind remaining in Alsace, provides a precise indication of the former course of the Mittelbach thanks to its curved layout, highlighted by a fully glazed and metallic structure.