Brimstone Hill Fortress
Brimstone Hill Fortress is an old British fortress located near the capital of the island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Brimstone Hill Fortress has national park status and is considered one of the symbols of the colonization of the Caribbean. The park was established around an 18th-century fort that long served as the main British fortress in the region and was called the “Gibraltar of the West Indies.”
Video: Brimstone Hill Fortress
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The powerful walls rise 244 meters above sea level and are surrounded by volcanic sulfur outcrops. This location determined the fort’s name. In English brimstone means “sulfur”, hill means “hill”, and fortress means “fortress”. Brimstone Hill Fortress has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.
.The fort’s main tower is equipped with 24 guns and serves as a great lookout point, with excellent views of the coast and neighboring islands. Inside the fort is the Colonial History Museum.
For visitors, the national park is open daily from 9.30 to 17.30. The entrance fee for adult tourists is $10 and $5 for children.
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History of Brimstone Hill Fortress
The fortress on a volcanic hill was designed by British military engineers. It was built by the hands of African slaves intermittently from 1690 to 1790. In 1867, there was a massive fire near the town of Basseterre, after which part of the fort was dismantled and the remaining stones were used to rebuild the town’s buildings.
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Today, the military fortifications have been reconstructed and are used as a museum. Brimstone Hill Fortress is considered one of the best-preserved military fortifications in the New World.
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How to get there
Brimstone Hill Fortress is located on the island of St. Kitts, 13 km northwest of the town of Basseterre. Tourists get here by bus or cab. The drive from the seaport to the fortress takes 20-30 minutes.
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