The old capital of Christianssted has found security in Fort Christiansvaern since it was completed in 1749. Today the fort is a museum with displays in the dungeons and soldiers' quarters, but in the past it has served as protection against pirates, as a church, and as the Governor's mansion.
In Frederikssted Fort Frederik stands much as it did when it was built in 1760. Its original purpose was to protect the planters against pirates and rebellious slaves. Next to the fort is the Emancipation Square where Peter von Scholten gave the slaves their freedom on July 3, 1848. Since 1976 the fort has been a museum for among other things the slaves' declaration of freedom.
If you are planning to go snorkelling, the aquarium gives you a good idea of what to expect below the surface. Located in the old customs house in Christianssted, the aquarium is filled with tropical fishes, sea urchins, corals, and many other forms of sea-dwelling animals. Occasionally, the aquarium is used for educational purposes.
The most popular historic sight in St. John is the former sugar plantation from the 18th Century called Annaberg. Here visitors can take in the old slave barracks, the ruins of the sugar mill, and the old boiling-house chimney.
In the national park that takes up two thirds of St. John you can join 22 different guided tours that go along the Reef Bay Trail. On the way you see many of the best sights of the park and stop at one of the many lookout points.
This tower is considered by many to be most important and oldest existing buildings in the Virgin Islands. Some time after its construction in 1679, the tower was in the hands of pirates, hence the name Blackbeard's Castle. Today the building is converted in to a hotel.
Once you brave the steps from Norre Gade to Government Hill you come to the house that was built in 1867 for the Danish governor general. Today the American governor lives in the house, but the ground floor is open to visitors. Next-door is the splendid Seven Arches Museum.
Without a doubt the most famous flight of stairs in Charlotte Amalie, this long brick staircase actually has 103 steps. Leading from the Governor's House to Blackbeard's Castle, it is built from Danish brick that were brought to the islands as ships' ballast.
A sweet aroma fills the warm air as you approach the rum distillery on West Airport Road in St. Croix. The same recipe has been in use for centuries here, and it's that procedure you can see being performed as a visitor at the distillery today. After the tour you are treated to samples and taught among other things to tell the difference between light and dark rum.
The Jewish synagogue on Crystal Gade is the second oldest in the Western Hemisphere. Today you can still see the original Gothic tiling dating back to 1833, and inside there is sand on the floors as a reminder of the Exodus, the journey through the desert to the Promised Land.
Across Tolbodgade from the Grand Hotel is the Emancipation Park, which was opened by governor Peter von Scholten to commemorate the liberation of the slaves on July 3, 1848. Many official ceremonies in St. Thomas are held here, and the park is also host to open air concerts and markets.
The botanical gardens cover roughly 17 acres of cactus garden, rain forest, and gorgeous mahogany trees. Built on the site of an ancient pre-Columbian Indian settlement, the gardens are an interesting mix of history, flora and fauna - and a favourite with couples who want to take their marriage vows in this beautiful setting.
This beautifully restored sugar plantation manor now houses a museum of antiques, objets d'art, tools, porcelain, and historic records of the Danish period in St. Croix history. The old bakery is fully operational; don't pass up the opportunity to sample an old style johnnycake while you're there.