Grand Ile - historical center of Strasbourg in France, resort of Strasbourg
Rating: 8,0/10 (221 votes)  The capital of Alsace, Strasbourg, is a unique city of its kind, located near the border with Germany. The architecture of the historical center of the city, the region of the Ile River, in its complex represents an example of the unique style of urban planning of the Lower Rhine Valley. The architectural structures of this area, dating back to the Middle and Late Gothic period, seriously influenced the construction of neighboring regions of Germany. "Big Island"; The Grand Ile is surrounded on all sides by the river of the same name, and is connected to the rest of the city by the legendary Strasbourg bridges. In 1988, the entire historical part of the city was included by UNESCO in the list of World Heritage of Humanity. For France, it was a unique case of its kind, when a whole part of the city was included in the list, and not a specific landmark or architectural ensemble. The landmarks on the island vividly illustrate the development of the city's architectural style depending on the historical era. Here is the unique Church of St. Thomas, built in the XIII century, here you can see a number of temples reflecting the architecture from the XIII to XVI centuries. The main building of the Grand Ile is the pearl of the late Gothic – Strasbourg Cathedral, the spiers of which rise above the entire city and are visible from any point. The streets of the Old City are named after the medieval guilds that ruled their affairs here. For example, there is a street of the Guild of Merchants or the Guild of Craftsmen, also streets and several squares are named after the heads of one or another guild. A number of historic buildings erected on the Grand Ile continue to serve the city. So, for example, the Town Hall of the 16th century is now the building of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and one of the palaces was given by the municipality for the exhibition halls of the Historical Museum of Strasbourg. Many old mansions on the banks of the river Ile and to this day they are residential buildings where the richest people of the city live.   
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