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An imposing fortress, the Citadelle in Haiti's Parc National
Historique La Citadelle sits 3500 ft on top of a mountain,
overlooking the city of Cap-Haitien. Seeped in scandal
and superstition, a quick look at the Citadelle's stats highlight
just some of the unusual facts of this 'eighth wonder of the
world'.
History of the Mad King
Built in the early 1800's it took fifteen years to finish
construction of this fortress of thirteen feet (four metres)
thick walls, some reaching 130 ft (40 metres) in height! Construction
was no mean feat either, up to 20 000 slaves worked on the
Citadelle with a reported 10,000 dying from exhaustion during
the task.
Even once complete, the Citadelle remained shrouded in mystery
and scandal. When important dignitaries came to visit the
King Henri Cristof, he used to line up a few of his
soldiers and make them march over the edge of the Citadelle,
plunging to their death just to show how brave they were.
The Haiti people hold a widespread belief in the supernatural
and numerous stories tell of the 'mad king' Henri's ghost
walking the Citadelle.
Visiting the Citadelle Today
To visit the Citadelle, you can leave from the town of Sans
Souci, walking up the two miles (3.5 km) path, which leads
you to the Citadelle parking lot. The fort is a mile further
up steep terrain. For these reasons, and to escape the heat
and haze of the afternoon it can be best to visit the Citadelle
in the morning.
Don't forget to bring some bottled water, or be prepared to
pay inflated prices to buy water at the parking lot. The Parc
National Historique La Citadelle is filled with many vendors
and unofficial guides who are quite persistent with their
offers. It may be worth hiring a guide, simply to avoid the
touts and enjoy the history of this spectacular monument in
peace.
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