Besides its stunning natural surroundings, Caracas boasts fantastic cuisine, wonderfully preserved historical buildings, and museums exhibiting priceless artefacts from South America and Europe, and is regarded as the cultural heart of Venezuela. Ruled by the Spanish until the 19^th century, Venezuela's history has been turbulent at times, but the influence of the country's founder and liberator, Simón Bolívar (or "El Libertador"), can be felt all around the streets and buildings of Caracas.