Bridgetown Historic District

UNESCO · St. Michael

Rating: 4.8 / 5

The Bridgetown Historic District is the second half of Barbados' UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering the historic core of the capital with its 17th-century street pattern, colonial buildings and working Careenage harbour. Highlights include the Parliament Buildings (home to the third-oldest parliament in the Commonwealth, dating to 1639), St. Michael's Cathedral, the Nidhe Israel Synagogue complex and the bustling shopping arteries of Broad Street and Swan Street. Four centuries of Caribbean, British and African influence are legible in its streetscape.

Contact Information

Address: Bridgetown, St. Michael

Hours: Always open

About culture in Barbados

Barbados has over 400 years of recorded history, from Amerindian settlement through British colonialism to its 2021 transition to a republic. The UNESCO World Heritage Garrison Historic Area, Harrison's Cave, and St. Nicholas Abbey are must-visit cultural sites. The island's food culture, calypso music tradition, chattel house architecture, and rum heritage make it one of the most culturally rich islands in the Caribbean.

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