III.

Places of Interest

Brussels’ tree-shaded boulevards, splendid parks, imposing monuments, and magnificent buildings, make it a beautiful city, and being centrally situated in northern Europe, it is internationally important. The church of SS Michael and Gudule, a 13th-century Gothic building, is famous for its stained-glass windows. Other important ecclesiastical buildings are Nôtre Dame de Finistère and St Jacques sur Coudenberg. Other landmarks include the Hôtel de Ville, in Gothic style, dating from the 15th century; the royal palace; the 18th-century Palais de la Nation; the 19th-century Palais de Justice; the Bourse; and the Grand Place, a historic square, since 1998 a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Four major town houses in the Art Nouveau style, by the Belgian architect Victor Horta, were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000. The cultural institutions include the Free University of Brussels (1834; since 1970 two universities, one Dutch-speaking and one French-speaking); the École Royale Militaire (1834); academies of letters, fine arts, and medicine; the Royal Library; and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts.