In Martinique you should definitely see the Cathedral Saint Luis / Forte de France. The cathedral was built in 1978 according to the plans of the well-known Architects Henri Picq. The tower of the church has a height of about 60 meters.
But the Cathedral Saint Luis is not the first church that were built on this square. Some have already stood here, but all of them were destroyed by various natural disasters. That is why the Cathedral Saint Luis was made earthquake-proof with a special construction.
The Sacre Coer or Balat was built in 1928 and is the smaller one of the house of the same name in Paris.
A great hotel is the Plantation Leyritz or Basse Pointe. The hotel used to be a sugar factory and rum distillery. The hotel also has a restaurant that has a reputation for serving the best cuisine on the island.
There is also a doll museum in the hotel. The dolls have a special feature, they are all made of leaves, sticks and flowers. All the dolls are dressed in historical costumes.
If you are out and about in Martinique, you should not miss the Habitacion Latouche. This is an old plantation from the 17th century in which a botanical garden and a papillonarium have been set up in the meantime. As a visitor you can see thousands of butterflies there. There you learn everything about the different development stages of a butterfly. Here you can also visit the ruins of the former slave quarters, as well as the remains of the old water mill.
For rum lovers, a visit to Habitation Clement is an absolute must. The famous Rum Clement is still produced here today. But no newfangled devices are used for the production, the historic still is still in use. The rum can be tasted and bought in the plantation’s own shop. Most of the buildings on the plantation date from the 18th century and are still very well preserved to this day. They were even declared a historical monument in 1996.
The main house shows the Creole style and is even still originally furnished today. Various politicians from numerous countries have already visited here. Around the plantation itself is a tropical garden with an area of around 16 hectares. Here alone you can admire over three hundred different species.
A visit to the Plantation de la Montagne Pelee is also worthwhile. The plantation is located at the foot of the volcano of the same name, which almost completely destroyed the almost four hundred year old plantation. But the plantation was rebuilt. Today there is a rum museum here and you can see the storage of rum there. There is also a wonderful tropical garden around the plantation, but also many sugar cane fields.
The Habitation Lime has been converted into a banana museum. During a visit you can learn everything about the large number of different types of bananas, but also a lot about the historical development of banana cultivation up to the present day.
The Domaine de la Pagerie is a plantation of historical importance. The French Empress Josephin and Napoleon’s wife was born here. The original building was destroyed by a hurricane while the Empress was still alive. Decades later the plantation was bought by the veterinarian Rose-Rosett. The buyer had a museum built in honor of the empress on the property. There you can see old furniture, copies of various pictures and letters from the former empress.
The Fort de France is an archaeological museum in which you can see documents about the time of slavery and various objects of Indian culture.
But a detour to the Paul Gaugin Museum is also worthwhile. Here the life of the celebrity is documented through photos, letters and various personal items. You can’t see his original masterpieces there, but you can see copies.
The Frank Perret Museum in St. Pierre tells something about the history of the city before and after the volcanic eruption, you can see the deformed bell of the church, pictures of the victims, melted porcelain, etc.
The monument to the Empress Josephine is right in the Fort de France. Her gaze is directed towards her home village and the statue is made entirely of Carrara marble. When you look at this sight, you shouldn’t be surprised if your head is sometimes missing. Said the empress was in favor of the reintroduction of slavery and because of this she is not exactly popular with the residents, so sometimes the head is stolen.
According to EHUZHOU.NET, other sights of Martinique are the Schoelcher library, the Schoelcher aquarium, the Gran Marche, the botanical garden in Balaata and Pinte du Diamant.
Martinique – important addresses
Office du Tourisme de la Martinique : 2 Rue des Moulins,
75001 Paris
Telephone: 0033 01 4477 8600 or 0033 1 4477 8611 (inquiries from the travel industry), Fax: 0033 1 4477 8625
email: infos@martiniquetourisme.com
The Martinique tourist office in France is also responsible for Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Office du Tourisme de la Martinique : Immeuble “Le Beaupré” Pointe de Jaham,
97233 Schoelcher
Telephone: 616177, Fax: 612272
email: infos.ctm@martiniquetourism.com
Consulate of Switzerland in Martinique : Center d’Affaires de Californie II,
Entrée Amandine, 97232 Le Lamentin / Martinique
Telephone: (0596) 501243, Fax: (0596) 505277
email: plh.martinique@wanadoo.fr
Switzerland does not have its own embassy in Martinique, the responsible Swiss embassy is in Paris, France.
Germany and Austria have no diplomatic missions in Martinique. The responsible embassies of both countries are in Paris.
As a French overseas department, Martinique does not have its own diplomatic representations; Martinique’s interests are represented by French embassies.
Information on tourist activities can be obtained from French tourist offices.
