Charlotte Amalie
Start your island tour in Charlotte Amalie, one of the largest showcases of colonial architecture in the Caribbean. Along the waterfront, centuries-old warehouses that once stored molasses, rum and spices for export now hold modern-day treasures in hundreds of dutyfree stores. Historical buildings are in an adapted neoclassical style with second-floor verandas, pastel interiors and arch-enhanced front staircases, a style known as Welcoming Arms.

A good way to begin exploring the history and architecture of St. Thomas is with a self-guided walking tour of Charlotte Amalie. Here, dozens of pretty buildings line a crowded Main Street, also called Dronningens Gade. The nearby waterfront is framed by sloping hills on one side and the natural harbor on the other.

The tourism department maintains a visitors bureau at Havensight Mall, where most cruise ships tie up (340-774-8784). Literature provided here will help you embark on a self-guided tour of the island’s major sites.

99 STEPS
The famed 99 Steps (there are actually 103) were built in the mid-1700s. Danish engineers, planning a town they’d never seen, decreed that the streets should be laid out in a grid pattern. They failed to take into account that the island of St. Thomas is full of hills; as a result, steps had to be built into nearly every hillside. The bricks used to construct the 99 Steps were brought from Denmark as ballast in the holds of sailing ships. Steps start on Government Hill and end right above Haagenhouse.

GRAND GALLERIA
Built in 1841, the Grand Galleria is an excellent example of 19th-century Greek Revival architecture. It has been renovated, and many original features were restored. Formerly a hotel, it hosts art exhibits and is home to restaurants, shops and offices. At Tolbod and Norre Gade, east of the post office and across from the Government Development Bank

EMANCIPATION PARK
Emancipation Park commemorates the proclamation that freed the St. Thomas slaves in July 1848. A reproduction of Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell occupies one corner. Across from the Grand Galleria

FORT CHRISTIAN & THE VIRGIN ISLANDS MUSEUM
Fort Christian was built in 1672, which makes it the oldest structure on the island. Closed for renovations at press time (see Fort Christian Gets a Facelift, page 24), the Danish building was constructed to protect the town’s harbor from raiding European armadas that plied the Caribbean centuries ago. Fort Christian is also home to the Virgin Islands Museum, which houses exhibits depicting life on the island. When reopened, the museum will have period furniture, historical photos and documents, cannons and an example of a cane press. Don’t miss the 17th-century dungeon or the two tombstones embedded in Fort Christian’s pavement, marking the spot where the island’s first Frederick Lutheran Church was located. At the harbor side

LEGISLATURE BUILDING
The lime-green Legislature Building is typical of the graceful island architecture of the 19th century. It was constructed in 1874 as barracks for Danish troops and later served as housing for U.S. Marines and as a school. In 1917, the structure was the site of ceremonies transferring ownership of the Danish Virgin Islands to the United States. On the harbor side of Fort Christian

SEVEN ARCHES MUSEUM
Once a 19th-century Danish artisan’s home, this building has been lovingly converted into a museum commemorating the history of the property and the Caribbean life of the era. Behind the house is a West Indian cottage. On the downside of Government Hill near Government House and across from Roosevelt Park. 340-774-9295

GOVERNMENT HOUSE
This white brick and wood building, with its red roof and intricate ironwork, is typical neoclassical style. Government House was erected in 1867 as a meeting place for the Danish Colonial Council. Renovated in 1994, it now houses the offices of the governor of the USVI. Tours of two floors are available by appointment. 21-22 Kongens Gade. 340-774-0294