The Grande Île (; ) is an

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

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

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. 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. The Grande Île was named a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

in 1988. At the time, the International Council on Monuments and Sites noted that the 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. The 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 the

Place Kléber The Place Kléber (''Kleberplatz'' in German) is the central square of Strasbourg, France. As the largest square at the center of Strasbourg, in the heart of the city's commercial area, it was named after French revolutionary general Jean-Ba ...

, the city's central square. Further south is

Strasbourg Cathedral Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg (, or ''Cathédrale de Strasbourg'', ), also known as Strasbourg Minster (church), Minster (), is a Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, Alsace, France. Although considerable parts of ...

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

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

. At the western end of the island is the quarter of Petite France, the former home of the city's tanners, millers and fishermen, 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), the Hôtel des Deux-Ponts (birthplace of Ludwig I of Bavaria and now home to the city's military governor), the Hôtel de Klinglin, the Hôtel d'Andlau-Klinglin, and the Hôtel de Neuwiller, among many others. The island is also home to the Episcopal palace of the Archdiocese of Strasbourg. To mark the Grande Île's status as a World Heritage Site, 22 brass plates were placed on the bridges giving access to the island.

Gallery

File:Strasbourg Cathedral Exterior - Diliff.jpg, File:Palais Rohan Jan 2020 (cropped).jpg, File:Strasbourg Hôtel de Hanau.jpg, File:Église Saint-Thomas et cathédrale Notre-Dame Strasbourg août 2015.jpg, File:Strasbourg Petite-France place Benjamin-Zix septembre 2015.jpg, File:Place Kléber by night.jpg, File:Plaque Strasbourg grande île patrimoine mondial Unesco.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