The Erstein polder

The polder is a structure designed to retain Rhine floodwaters in order to help the local ecology. The Erstein polder is a huge retention basin of 600 hectares, capable of storing up to 7.8 million cubic metres of water in less than 15 hours. It is situated on the site of a former alluvial forest which was located in the major floodplain of the Rhine before canalisation works were begun in the second half of the 20th century. Free guided tours by reservation