Despite the fact that Louis XIV was not a supporter of compliments, he said about the fortress on the Rhine that it is one of the most beautiful diamonds of the French crown. In order to understand why the Rhine River was destined to become the main strategic goal, you need to climb into the sky and admire the fortress from above. This building really deserves to be bowed before it even by those who, having seen many cities in the world, have repeatedly seen many different miracles.
After the Treaty of Riswick (1697), Louis the Great pledged to return to Germany the city of Breisach, located on the other side of the Rhine, which in 1648 was transferred to the Kingdom of France. The king immediately issued a decree that the ford across this river was blocked. Vauban was responsible for carrying out such an operation, who probably then could not have thought that he would build a real masterpiece of military architecture. Soon, Louis XIV baptizes this fortress with the name of Neuf-Brizach, thus trying to prove to his enemies that even being on the opposite bank of the Rhine, he observes all the events taking place in the city.
Nef-Brizakh is an octagonal city. It is impossible to find anything like this in all of Europe. Upon entering the city, you can see two gates that have survived. Royal coats of arms and a magnificent pediment give the Colmar Gate a special grandeur. The Belfort Gate looks no less impressive with its colonnades. Looking at them, you will not immediately understand what is really in front of you. Many even take them for a temple. Only walking along those ditches around the fortress walls can you really feel the spirit of those times.
Neuf-Brisach (fr. Neuf-Brisach) is a city in Alsace (France), the construction of which began in 1698 as a result of the Treaty of Riswick, which obliged Louis XIV to cede the city of Brisach, which is now called Breisach am Rhein (Germany).
Louis XIV commissioned the construction of a new fortified city with the aim of preventing the crossing of the Rhine in the area. The construction was entrusted to Sebastian de Prestre, lord de Vauban (1633-1707).
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In plan, the city is an octagon with bastions and outer fortifications forming a star. It is the only fully extant example of a third (or “second reinforced”) Vauban fortification system in the world.
The city is home to the Vauban Museum and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008, among 13 other fortifications of Vauban.