City Orientation Walk

Transcription

1 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 - City Orientation Walk Nassau capital of the Bahamas is a popular cruise-ship destination, renowned for its natural and man-made attractions. Apart from the beaches and colorful marine life, the city's other main lure is eventful history reflected in a number of typical pastel-colored British colonial buildings, such as the pink-hued Government House, the Pirates of Nassau Museum and others. To find out more about Nassau's key points of interest, follow this orientation walk. Guide Location: Bahamas» Nassau # of Attractions: 12 Tour Duration: 2 hour(s) Travel Distance: 4.1 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" downloadable on itunes App Store and Google Play. The app provides turn-by-turn GPS navigation to guide you from one tour sight to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Nassau. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) Fort Fincastle B) Queen's Staircase C) Parliament Square D) Rawson Square E) Bay Street F) Straw Market G) Christ Church Cathedral H) Pirates of Nassau Museum I) Government House J) St.Francis Xavier Cathedral K) Fort Charlotte L) Ardastra Gardens and Zoo Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 -

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5 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 - A) Fort Fincastle (must see) Fort Fincastle is an outstanding historical site. The fort was built on Bennet's Hill around Fincastle received the title of the lord who constructed it. The fort was built to protect the island from enemies and even today tourists will find several of the old weapons that were left behind. Address: Elithabeth Street, Nassau, Bahamas Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and BrokenSphere B) Queen's Staircase Queen's Staircase was built by slaves to honor Queen's Victoria help in the abolition of slavery in the The Bahamas. There are 65 stairs that were recently renovated and the construction of this monument is still regarded as remarkable because of the way they were constructed. Address: Elizabeth Avenue, Nassau, New Providence Island, The Bahamas. Image Courtesy of Flickr and stephenvance C) Parliament Square (must see) Parliament Square is a very beautiful square in Nassau with a statue of Queen Victoria and several government buildings in the distant horizon. Some of the buildings were built in the 18th century and display a semi circular form that is evident of the Georgian style and colonial architecture. Address: West Bay St., Nassau, Bahamas Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Crm18 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 -

6 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 - D) Rawson Square Rawson Square faces Parliament square and offers some important monuments. Churchill Building, where the members of Bahamas government sit, is among the most popular. Also, tourists may visit the monument to Sir Milo Butler, an important person in the history of the Bahamas. Butler was the first governor of this country when the islands received independence from Great Britain in Address: Rawson Square, Nassau, Bahamas Image Courtesy of Flickr and Cairlinn E) Bay Street (must see) Bay Street is the main street of the city of Nassau and the premier shopping mecca for millions of tourists. The buildings lining both sides of Bay Street reflect the architecture of the country's history as a British Colony. Address: Bay St, Nassau, The Bahamas Image Courtesy of Flickr and Roger W F) Straw Market The Straw Market in Nassau is a very popular venue for local souvenirs and crafts. The market attracts a lot of tourists as one will not grow bored with the plethora of straw items such as dolls, hats, baskets, and bags. You will also find handicraft wooden items, masks, statues, jewelry, sea shells, and many other objects of value here. Address: Bay Street, Nassau, Bahamas Image Courtesy of Flickr and dj drüe Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 -

7 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 - G) Christ Church Cathedral (must see) Christ Church Cathedral is a huge stone cathedral in downtown Nassau. The cathedral is the historical landmark of the city. The original building dates back to 1670 and became a cathedral in The building of the church is very impressive and must be visited while in Nassau. Address: George St., Nassau, Bahamas Image Courtesy of Flickr and mhowry H) Pirates of Nassau Museum (must see) The Pirates of Nassau Museum is a very popular museum, located in a long building with several rooms that depict the life of a pirate. Tourists will discover terrific wax figures of the pirates, their weapons, and the overall ambiance of the 17th century pirate village. Operation hours: Monday - Saturday: 9 am - 6 pm; Sunday: 9 am - 12 pm Address: King and George St., Downtown, Nassau, Bahamas Image Courtesy of Flickr and greyloch I) Government House (must see) Government House is the official residence of the Governor General of the Bahamas. Built on a hill known as Mount Fitzwilliam and completed in 1806, this imposing stuccoed-coral-rock building on Duke Street is the Bahamian archipelago's foremost example of Georgian Colonial architecture. In 1814, Colonel Don Antonio de Alcedo, a Spanish scholar and soldier, wrote admiringly of its effect. The Oriental Herald, in 1825, stated: "The new Government-House, standing on the centre of the ridge that overlooks the town, was built by a sum voted by the House of Assembly from the funds of the Treasury and cost upwards of 20,000l. It is built in the European style of architecture, and is universally considered the best building of the kind throughout the West Indies". Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 -

8 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 - The building's original neoclassical aspect, as well as its stone construction, was directly influenced by the arrival of Loyalists from the southern United States in the 1780s. Previously most Bahamian buildings had been built of painted wood. Typically Bahamian elements, however, include louvered wood shutters and brightly painted exterior, in this case a brilliant shade of conch-pink. The primary façade, centered on a pedimented entrance supported by four stout Ionic columns, dates from the 1930s, when the building was remodeled following the hurricane of "(The above description is based on Wikipedia under Creative Common License)" Address: Duke St., Nassau, Bahamas Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Crm18. Sight description based on Wikipedia. J) St.Francis Xavier Cathedral St. Francis Xavier Cathedral is another beautiful old church in downtown Nassau. The cathedral is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in the Bahamas, with construction that began around Visitors will also discover various religious statues in the area around the cathedral. Address: West St., Nassau, Bahamas Image Courtesy of Flickr and Paul McClure K) Fort Charlotte (must see) Fort Charlotte is a British-colonial era fort built on a hill over-looking the harbor of Nassau. The fort sits a short walk west of downtown Nassau and the cruise ship terminal. The fort was constructed in the late 18th century by British colonial governor Lord Dunmore after the end of the American Revolutionary war. The fort has never been used in battle. "(The above description is based on Wikipedia under Creative Common License)" Address: Fort Charlotte, nassau, Bahamas Image Courtesy of Flickr and reivax Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 -

9 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 9 - L) Ardastra Gardens and Zoo (must see) Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre opened in 1937 though the work of the Jamaican horticulturist, Hedley Vivian Edwards. From the Latin Ardua astrum, Ardastra means Striving for the stars. In the 1950's the Bahamian government brought flamingoes with the intention of breeding, as they had become rare there. In 1982 the gardens were bought by Bahamian, Mr. Norman Solomon, who started the first Bahamian zoo. Best known for its flamingoes, the zoo now has about 300 animals. Operation hours: Daily: 9 am - 5 pm "(The above description is based on Wikipedia under Creative Common License)" Address: Ardastra Gardens and Zoo, Nassau, Bahamas Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Charles Pluta. Sight description based on Wikipedia. Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 9 -