The Vauban Ramparts

Between 1675 and 1691, Louis XIV ordered the construction of ramparts based on Vauban's plans, overseen by Jacques Tarade.

These fortifications partly follow the layout of the medieval walls and featured three monumental gates: the Strasbourg gate, still visible today, and the Brisach and Colmar gates, which have since disappeared or been altered. The walls successfully withstood two sieges in 1814 and 1815 but were gradually dismantled starting in 1874 after the city was taken by German forces. Today, only two bastions remain in the southern part of the city. One of them houses the contemporary art installation "Meeting Point: The Dream," created by Sarkis in 1993.