The Heerstraße originally had the name Untere Straße. Despite its name, it was a very busy road. high-water-risk situation significant, as it directly connected the two large city gates. During the time of the French rule on the Rhine (1794 – 1813/14) Work had begun on expanding the road network. The riverfront road on the left bank was brought to a level largely immune to flooding and was renamed Route Napoleon. As part of these measures, the lower road was widened to enable rapid troop movements and parades – this circumstance is the reason why Heerstraße has its current name. On the side facing the Rhine, numerous buildings had to give way to the road expansion. A remaining bottleneck in the central section of the road still bears witness to its original narrow width today.
Heerstraße has now become the city's main shopping street and today invites visitors to stroll through it in the central area as a pedestrian zone.
