Fort Karl

Sweden held Saint Barthelemy from 1784 to 1878 and built three forts over the harbour at Gustavia, of which Karl on the headland south of the town is the one you can walk up to. Very little stands: low walls, a cleared platform and the outline of the works. The reason to go is the position, looking down on Shell Beach on one side and the harbour on the other. The two other forts over the harbour, Gustav and Oscar, are not open in the same way.

History

The Swedes built the fort in 1789 to protect Gustavia's harbour and its salt trade from attack from the south, naming it after Karl XIII; it was one of three forts round the town, with Fort Gustav and Fort Oscar, and its remains are now a protected site managed by the Conservatoire du littoral (Wikipedia, Fort Karl).

What you'll find

• The low walls - what remains of the Swedish fortification.
• The platform - the cleared summit where the guns stood.
• The harbour view - Gustavia and its anchorage below.
• The Swedish period - the century the island was held from Stockholm.

When to go

December to April is the dry high season. Mornings are cooler for the climb. The path is slippery after rain.

Good to know

Almost nothing of the fort survives and there is no interpretation. The path up is steep, rough and hot. Ten minutes covers the site itself.

Nearby

Shell Beach is below, and Gustavia is north.

Key facts