Parliament Buildings
Neo-Gothic with a clock tower.
Barry haynes — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Balou46 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · UpstateNYer — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Berit from Redhill/Surrey, UK — CC BY 2.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 4.0
Historic Bridgetown is the heart of the capital of Barbados, around National Heroes Square and the Constitution River. It holds the two neo-Gothic stone Parliament Buildings with their clock tower, the inner harbour with its boats, and narrow streets of old houses. Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. English settlers founded the town on its present site in 1628. The Parliament Buildings went up between 1870 and 1874, and both houses of Parliament have met there since 16 June 1874. Parliament itself dates from 1639 and moved between buildings before then. Another reason for building them was to keep the island's public records safe. You walk from the square along the inner harbour, seeing Parliament and its tower from the far bank, with small boats on the water. Then you wander the old streets among wooden and stone houses and churches. The town is busy by day, with markets and shops. The centre is 13 km in a straight line west of the airport and 2 km north of the Garrison Savannah. Walking the streets is free. Keep your belongings safe in crowds, and do not walk alone in empty streets at night.
Neo-Gothic with a clock tower.
Boats on the Constitution River.
Wooden and stone houses.
National Heroes Square and Broad Street, central Bridgetown
Yes by day with usual care; keep belongings safe in crowds.
The Garrison Savannah is 2 km to the south.