Aside from the beautiful beaches, golf courses and shops and restaurants, many of the attractions on St Kitts are based on its illustrious past. St Kitts is strategically located as it was considered to be the gateway to the Caribbean, and the valuable sugarcane industry made it a price well worth fighting over. It's a history which is very difficult to ignore, and in many ways it's shaped the culture of the country.
You only have to stroll around the capital city of Basseterre to see the colonial influences. It's one of the oldest towns in the eastern Caribbean and was originally founded by the French in 1627 when it became the capital of the French colony of St Christoph, which at the time consisted of the northern and southern most parts of the island. The central part of the island was under the control of Britain.
Over time the city became a hugely successful port, and at one time was the capital of the entire French West Indies colony which included the islands of Martinique and Guadaloupe.
In 1727 it became the capital city of St Kitts, as the island came under complete British control. St Kitts has been fought over many times, and its capital city has a somewhat tragic history as it's been destroyed and rebuilt several times. It's quite a small town which is laid out in the form of a grid.
The Main Street is called Fort Street, and is where you'll find the majority of the banks and shops. Independence Square is home to the courthouse, and the Cathedral, and is where you'll find most of the older buildings, The Circus is more tourist oriented and is where you'll find the Berkeley Memorial. The Circus is modelled on Piccadilly Circus, although it somewhat smaller and less busy. The city is very walkable, and it's well worth taking your time to explore historical Basseterre.
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