Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
30
Fort Christian Brew Pub
C2
Hotel on the Cay
(see 15)
Shopping
31
Crucian Gold
B3
National Park Service Bookshop
(see 7)
32
Riddims
C3
Sights
Fort Christiansvaern, the old Danish commercial and government buildings, and 27 acres
at the heart of the town are now part of the
Christiansted National Historic Site (
340-773-1460;
www.nps.gov/chri
; 9am-5pm)
, under the direct administration of the
National Park Service.
Kings Wharf
COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
The heart of Christiansted's historic district, Kings Wharf is where merchants traded slaves
for sugar in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The wharf is now home to a harborside
boardwalk, small hotels, restaurants, shops, pubs, water-tour operators and the ferry to
Protestant Cay. The wharf is the natural place for any walking tour of the town to begin.
Fort Christiansvaern
HISTORICAL SITE
(Hospital St; admission $3)
Built of masonry and yellow Danish brick that came to the
islands as ballast in sailing ships, this fort took shape between 1738 and 1749 over the ru-
ins of a French bastion. Fort Christiansvaern (Christian's Defenses) is a four-point citadel
and the best preserved of the five Danish forts in the West Indies. Its ramparts surround a
central courtyard.
Though Danish soldiers quartered here until 1878, and the walls have protected citizens
from the onslaught of pirates, hurricanes and slave revolts, the fort's guns have never been
fired in an armed conflict. After 1878, the fort served as a prison and courthouse for the
island. Cannons on the ramparts, an echoey claustrophobic dungeon and latrines with top-
notch sea views await visitors who tour the site. The ticket you buy at the entrance here is
also good for the Steeple Building. There's parking available in the lot next door to the fort
($2 per two hours).
