The Grande Île (german: Große Insel) is an

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

that lies at the historic centre of the city of Strasbourg in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Its name means "Large Island", and derives from the fact that it is surrounded on one side by the main channel of the Ill River and on the other side by the Canal du Faux-Rempart, a canalised arm of that river. Grande Île was named a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in 1988. At the time, the

International Council on Monuments and Sites The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS; french: links=no, Conseil international des monuments et des sites) is a professional association that works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places around the worl ...

noted that Grande Île is "an old quarter that exemplifies medieval cities".Strasbourg Grand ile 495
/ref> Strasbourg was the first city to have its entire city center be listed as a World Heritage Site. Grande Île is sometimes referred to as "ellipse insulaire" because of its shape. It measures some by at its longest and broadest. At the centre of the island lies

Place Kléber The Place Kléber (''Kleberplatz'' in German) is the central square of Strasbourg, France. Place Kleber, the largest square at the center of the city of Strasbourg in the heart of the city's commercial area, was named after French revolutio ...

, the city's central square. Further south is

Strasbourg Cathedral Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg (french: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, or ''Cathédrale de Strasbourg'', german: Liebfrauenmünster zu Straßburg or ''Straßburger Münster''), also known as Strasbourg ...

, the world's fourth-tallest church and an ornate example of 15th-century

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It ...

. At the western end of the island is the quarter of Petite France, the former home of the city's tanners,

miller A miller is a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalent ...

s and

fishermen A fisher or fisherman is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishers may be professional or recreati ...

, and now one of Strasbourg's main tourist attractions. The Grande Île also houses the former fluvial customs house Ancienne Douane. Besides the cathedral, the Grande Île is home to four other centuries-old churches: St. Thomas, St. Pierre-le-Vieux, St. Pierre-le-Jeune, and St. Étienne. Being the historical center of Strasbourg and the seat of local secular power, it also houses the city's most imposing 18th-century hôtels particuliers and palaces, including the Palais Rohan, the '' Hôtel de Hanau'' (now the city hall), '' Hôtel des Deux-Ponts'' (birthplace of

Ludwig I of Bavaria en, Louis Charles Augustus , image = Joseph Karl Stieler - King Ludwig I in his Coronation Robes - WGA21796.jpg , caption = Portrait by Joseph Stieler, 1825 , succession=King of Bavaria , reign = , coronation ...

and now home to the city's military governor), '' Hôtel de Klinglin'', ''Hôtel d'Andlau-Klinglin'', ''Hôtel de Neuwiller'', among many others. The island is also home to the Episcopal palace of the

Archdiocese of Strasbourg The Archdiocese of Strasbourg ( la, Archidioecesis Argentoratensis o Argentinensis; french: Archidiocèse de Strasbourg; german: Erzbistum Straßburg; gsw-FR, Ärzbischofsìtz Strossburi(g)) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archd ...

. To mark Grande Île's status as a World Heritage Site, 22 brass plates were placed on the bridges giving access to the island.

Gallery

Absolute cathedrale Strasbourg facade 01.jpg, Place Kléber by night.jpg, L'Ill aux Lumières - rideau d'eau sous le Pont St Thomas.jpg, Strasbourg rNuéeBleue 27e.JPG, Façade of former ''Hôtel d'Andlau-Klinglin'' (1725) Strasbourg hotHanau-Lichtenberg36.JPG, Entrance to the courtyard of the city hall, former ''Hôtel de Hanau-Lichtenberg'' (1736) Plaque Strasbourg grande île patrimoine mondial Unesco.jpg, Strasbourg Petite France.jpg,

References

External links

UNESCO
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grande Ile, Strasbourg River islands of France Geography of Strasbourg World Heritage Sites in France Landforms of Bas-Rhin Tourist attractions in Strasbourg