6 Best Sights in Fort-de-France, Martinique

This wildly elaborate Romanesque public library was named after Victor Schoelcher, who led the fight to free the slaves in the French West Indies in the 19th century. The eye-popping, historic structure was built for the 1889 Paris Exposition, after which it was dismantled, shipped to Martinique, and reassembled piece by piece.

Fort St-Louis (pronounced lou-EE) is an imposing stone fortress that has guarded the island’s principal port city since the 17th century. Originally carved out from a rocky promontory jutting out into the Bay of Fort-de-France, Fort St-Louis towers nearly 200 feet over the city at its highest point, affording visitors panoramic views of the surrounding seaside urban landscape. A view-experience and photo op, with a spyglass, one could see any threatening warships coming for miles in advance. Guided tours are available in English, French, Spanish, and Italian. Walking shoes are recommended. Visitors must first check-in at the Office of Tourism, on 29 rue Victor Hugo.

This museum explores Martinique's diverse fauna and flora. Ten thousand species can be discovered, from the different types of mangroves to reptiles. Père Pinchon was a natural science professor and a priest who moved to Martinique in 1945 and dedicated his life to researching and listing all the existing species on the island.

A hidden treasure with an unassuming entrance just down the street from the Hotel L'Impératrice, this multistory archaeological museum houses some 2,000 Indigenous artifacts. English-speaking guides are sometimes available. Kids take to this museum, "digging" the early peashooters, poison darts, hammocks that took a year to make, and the shaman's headdress. Also fascinating is the jewelry fashioned from natural materials, boar tusks, and bird feathers. A good time to sample this dose of prehistory is on a typically hot city day, for the air-conditioning is frigid.

On the site of an ancient hospital, the Parc Floral Aimé Césaire is in the northeastern corner of the city center. After restorations parts of the park have reopened, as has the Grand Carbet theater. The park contains the island's official cultural center, where there are events that include beauty pageants and free evening concerts, especially during the International Festival or on memorial days. The live music is often jazz, classical music, and opera.

Pronounced shell-share, this upscale suburb of Fort-de-France is home to the University of the French West Indies and Guyana, as well as Martinique's largest convention center, Palais de Congres de Madiana. Schoelcher was named after abolitionist Victor Schoelcher, who is credited with ending slavery on the island.