Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
11
Bermuda Cathedral
Also known as the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, this is the seat of the
Anglican Church of Bermuda, and it towers over the city skyline. Its style is
neo-Gothic, characterized by stained-glass windows and soaring arches. The
lectern and pulpit duplicate those of St. Giles in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Leave the cathedral and continue east along Church Street to the:
12
Sessions House (Parliament Building)
Located on Parliament Street, between Reid and Church streets, the Sessions
House is open to the public Friday at 10am. The speaker wears a full wig and a
flowing black robe. The Parliament of Bermuda is the third oldest in the world,
after Iceland's and England's.
3
Continue south along Parliament Street to Front Street, and turn left toward the:
13
Cabinet Building
The official opening of Parliament takes place here in late October or early
November. Wearing a plumed hat and full regalia, the governor makes his
“Throne Speech.” If you visit on a Wednesday, you can see the Bermuda Senate
in action. The building is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.
In front of the Cabinet Building is the:
14
Cenotaph
The Cenotaph is a memorial to Bermuda's dead from both World Wars. In 1920,
the Prince of Wales laid the cornerstone. (In 1936, as King Edward VIII, he
abdicated to marry an American divorcée, Wallis Simpson, and during World
War II, as the Duke of Windsor, he served as governor of The Bahamas.) The
landmark is a replica of the Cenotaph in London.
Continue east along Front Street until you reach King Street, then turn left and head
north until you come to Happy Valley Road. Go right on this road until you see the
entrance (on your right) to:
15
Fort Hamilton
This imposing old fortress lies on the eastern outskirts of town. The Duke of
Wellington ordered its construction beginning in 1868 to protect Hamilton
Harbour. Filled with underground passageways and complete with a moat and
18-ton guns, the fort was outdated before it was even completed, and it never
fired a shot. It does, however, offer panoramic views of the city and the harbor,
and it's worth a trip just for the view. In summer, try to be here at noon, when
the kilted Bermuda Isles Pipe Band performs a skirling ceremony on the green,
accompanied by dancers and drummers.
THE BEST OF BERMUDA IN 3 DAYS
Spend
Days 1 and 2
as outlined above. On
Day 3,
take the ferry from the City of
Hamilton across Great Sound to Somerset. You'll disembark at the western end of
Somerset Island in Sandys Parish, which consists of Somerset Island (the largest and
southernmost island), and Watford, Boaz, and Ireland islands. When Bermudians
cross into Somerset on Somerset Bridge, they say they are “up the country.”
