Christiansted Attractions

Several cruise ships dock at the harbor each week.

Christiansted was designed using Norway's town of Christiania (now Oslo) as a model in 1735. Named for the reigning Danish monarch at the time, Christian VI, Christiansted included a fort to protect the commercial buildings of the Danish West India and Guinea Company. By 1800 the town's population had reached 5,284.

The downfall of the sugar industry caused economic hardship in Christiansted, and little changed over the next 200 years. The introduction of tourism in the 1960s brought many pubs, boutiques, restaurants and inns to town that largely function in the original (and restored) 18th and 19th C buildings.

The Christiansted Historical District covers 27ac/11ha in the center of town and is administered by the National Parks Service. The rich colonial history in Christiansted offers much to visitors looking for more than a beach vacation.