NINE MUST SEE ST. MAARTEN MONUMENTS
For those out to visit monuments during their holidays, St. Maarten / St. Martin has quite an array of centuries old to modern monuments to choose from. Some suggestions for your itinerary:
1. Courthouse – Philipsburg
A symbol even making it to the St. Maarten Flag, the Philipsburg Courthouse is the best known landmark of Dutch side St. Maarten. With its front to Great Bay and famed shopping street Front Street, this monument combines well with a day of beachside fun and shopping.
2. Fort Amsterdam
On a strategic peninsula overlooking Little Bay, Great Bay Beach and Philipsburg, the Dutch built Fort Amsterdam to overlook the important Salt trade coming from the Great Salt Pond. Peter Stuyvesant lost his leg in an attempt to conquer the fort back from the Spanish. For years, the fort had an important radio tower of which still remnants can be seen.
3. Fort Louis – Marigot
Fort Louis, named after the French king, is an impressive old fortress overlooking the French side capital of Marigot. It is freely accessible via stairs starting in Marigot harbor.
4. Lady Liberty
Lady Liberty was built in 2007 at the 159th commemoration of the abolition of slavery on the French side of St. Martin. It was created by artist Theo Benev.
5. Market Woman Statue – Marigot
This statue by local artist Martin Lynn at the Marigot harbor was built out of cement and opened in 2006. Next to the statue is a poem about the market by local artist Ruby Bute.
6. World War 2 Monument – Philipsburg
Unbeknownst to many, refineries in the Dutch Caribbean provided over half of bomber fuel for the allied air forces in the second world war. As the sole part apart from Surinam of the Kingdom of the Netherlands neither occupied by the Germans nor the Japanese, the area was fully mobilized to support the allied war effort. For St. Maarten, this amongst others meant the construction of an air strip later becoming Princess Juliana International Airport as a base for allied planes trying to keep German submarines from interrupting the fuel support. The Monument on the Philipsburg Boardwalk near Hodge Pier lists the many St. Maarten / Netherlands Antilles military and merchant marine victims fallen in the battles of the second world war.
7. The Old House
Home to Amuseum Naturalis, there is few places to get a better understanding of St. Maarten /St. Martin nature and history in one visit. The plantation house can be freely visited and entered; its collections enjoyed without charge.
8. Emilios / Rainforest Adventures
Housed in old plantation buildings, Rainforest Adventures and Emilios Restaurant form landmark monuments on itself. Additionally, Rainforest Adventures offers an informative museum of the island history.
9. Loterie Farm
Another well kept plantation house is Loterie Farm in the lush green hills just below Pic Paradis. A scenic trail leads from Loterie Farm to the highest top of the island.
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