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Haiti Sights

Parc National Historique La Citadelle

1 reviews | Write a review

Good for: sightseeing, souvenirs, beautiful sights, History and Culture

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    • N Haiti

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Lonely Planet review for Parc National Historique La Citadelle

It took Henri Christophe 15 years to build this vast mountaintop fortress, constructed to combat another invasion by the French. The astounding structure, with its shiplike appearance, is balanced on top of the 900m (2952ft) Pic la Ferrière and overlooks Cap-Haïtien, the northern plain and routes leading to the south.

The fortress was completed in 1820, having employed up to 20,000 people, many of whom died during the arduous task. With 4m/13ft-thick walls that reach heights of 40m (131ft), the fortress was impenetrable. It held enough supplies to sustain the royal family and a garrison of 5000 troops for a year. It still contains over 100 cannons and an arsenal of 50,000 cannonballs.

 

Traveller reviews for Parc National Historique La Citadelle (1)

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    Breathtakingingly Beautiful

    firedrops recommends this,

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    The first stop is palace Sans Souci, meaning "Without Worries." The ruins of Christophe's splendor are beautifully set against lush foliage and mountains. Take a look at the remains of the plumbing systems, irrigation, grand architecture, and beautiful gardens. Then head up towards the Citadel where you can take a packhorse to the top. Be sure to tip the men who guide your horse, since they rely on tips as their income. When you reach the top you'll marvel at how they managed to haul the stones, cannons, and cannon balls up to the top of the mountain without pack animals. The Citadel is a great feat of military architecture that always allows for a place to retreat and defend. It is also amazingly cool inside, a fact which helped preserve the unique collection of European cannons inside. The views from the Citadel are spectacular. You can see why Christophe chose the site since you can see for miles and miles around.
    Both before Sans Souci and where you rent your packhorse there are opportunities for purchasing hats, dolls, jewelry and other souvenirs. As with all outdoor purchases in Haiti, be sure to haggle. Most of the time vendors will start their prices much higher than what they are actually willing to sell it for. For example, the simple necklaces sold there started at 300 gourdes, but we bought them for 25-50 gourdes (about 1 USD.)

    Good for: sightseeing, souvenirs, beautiful sights, History and Culture

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