| Basseterre is probably one of the most pleasing capitals to the eye in the Caribbean. Basseterre's Historic District, towards the centre of the town exhibits excellent examples of Creole and West Indian architecture. Basseterre has been around for some time; French Basseterre was a flourishing and much respected town back in 1672 leading an English visitor to remark that Basseterre was a 'town of good bigness, whose houses are well-built of Bricks, Freestone and Timber; where merchants have their storehouses, and is well inhabited by tradesmen and are well served with such commodities, both for back and belly, together with utensils for the houses and Plantations...'. By the end of the 18th Century Basseterre had grown in size and boasted (including the village of Irish Town) a population of 3000 and some 800 houses. Devastating city fires since then, though, forced much of the town to be rebuilt. It has, happily, been faithfully restored to indigenous styles even up to the new Government Headquarters and the Courthouse. A walk through Independence Square, The Circus and Liverpool Row shows excellent examples of public, commercial and residential styles.
 The Circus (shown right) is the focal point of Basseterre. It is essentially a roundabout in the middle of town. It was modelled on Piccadilly Circus in London and was built following the Great Fire of 1867. In the centre stands The Clock Tower, a memorial built in 1883 to The Honourable Thomas B.H. Berkeley, a local planter and politician. All around The Circus are good examples of period architecture - have a stroll and explore.
A block east of the Circus is Independence Square, originally called Pall Mall Square. It was renamed on the occasion of St. Kitts & Nevis achieving political independence on September 19th, 1983. The Government first acquired Pall Mall Square in 1750 and it rapidly became the administrative, commercial and social centre of Basseterre. The Square was the site of the slave market. Slaves arriving from Africa were temporarily quartered in the basement of a building on the south side of the Square.
South of The Circus lies the imposing Treasury Building. It was completed in 1894 and until World War 2 housed half of the island's government offices. The large archway that faces you is a reminder of the time when sea transport ruled and that archway was where you entered St. Kitts. Nearby are the General Post Office and Customs building. Beyond this towards the sea front lies Port Zante, the new Cruise ship terminal project. Further along the Bay Road lies the Public Market - colourful, noisy and a good place to get all sorts of fresh vegetables, especially on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
 No visit to Basseterre is complete without seeing the two notable churches. East of the Square you will find the Co-Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception built in 1927. It replaced an earlier church built in 1856. Take a chance to look around the Square to see fine examples of period architecture and trees and bushes found typically in these parts. A block to the west is Fort Street. Head north until Fort Street meets Cayon Street. Head west 2 blocks until you reach St. George's Anglican Church, built originally by Jesuits in 1670 and called Notre Dame. In 1706 English soldiers burned Notre Dame to the ground. The church was rebuilt in 1710 and renamed St. George's after the patron saint of England. After considerable damage from earthquake and fire the church was again rebuilt in 1867. It is an unusual wonder of black stonework and, combined with the pretty flowing shrubs, makes an excellent photo opportunity.
Many thanks to Caryl Phillips, a noted St. Kitts author, for the source material for this article.
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