Roseau Historic District

Roseau's old quarter keeps the irregular street grid the French laid out before the British took the island, and along it stand creole townhouses of stone ground floors with timber upper storeys and shuttered verandas overhanging the pavement. The Old Market, where enslaved people were sold and which is now a craft market, sits at the centre, with the stone cathedral above and the Dominica Museum on the bayfront in the old post office.

What you actually see

• The creole townhouses - stone below, timber above, with overhanging verandas.
• The Old Market - the historic market square, now selling crafts.
• The cathedral - the stone Catholic church above the old quarter.
• The museum - the collection in the old post office on the bayfront.

When to go

December to April is dry and the walking is comfortable. Cruise days fill the streets from mid-morning. Sundays are very quiet with most places closed.

Honest expectations

Many buildings are in poor repair and hurricane damage remains visible. Cruise days bring aggressive selling around the market. Little is labelled or interpreted.

Nearby

The Botanic Gardens are east, and Morne Bruce is above.