Ponts couverts in Strasbourg currently no roofs have not, although once on each of the four bridges was not only the roof but also the loopholes. Built in the first half of the thirteenth century, bridges played the role of defensive urban facilities and protect the navigable channels of the river ill. Bridges were thrown across the channels, which led to the Petite France district and to areas where the mill – Spicule, Dittemore and Commune.

The bridges were originally built of wood, but was constantly rebuilt and by the second half of the nineteenth century formed their final appearance until now has preserved structures built from Sandstone. In the XVII century, the famous military engineer Sebastian de Vauban built around Strasbourg new belt city fortifications (which preserved only the Vauban dam), and therefore bridges partly lost its defensive function and by the end of the eighteenth century had lost some of its "ammunition", for example, roofs.

The ensemble Strasbourg covered bridges also includes four towers gloomy appearance, and with no less gloomy "biographies". Originally the towers were five, but one of them, the tower of Chains, was destroyed in 1869 during the fire. Fortresses are also given names – French, tower Executioner, Heinrich and Hans von Altheim. In these towers, for many years housed the jail, including one female. The scariest place was a prison in the tower of Hangman, where prisoners were subjected to severe torture with the use of special tools for the most sophisticated tortures practiced by the inquisitors. As the prison tower was used until 1823, and the tower of the Executioner has served for ten years longer. The dungeons of the prison, despite their dark past, are very popular among tourists.

The best overview on the covered bridges and towers opens from the Vauban dam, which is now simply an observation deck. But the bridge itself is very comfortable to enjoy the view of Strasbourg. The ensemble covered bridges and towers since 1988 are protected by UNESCO as a world heritage site.