Plantage Mariënburg
In the district of Commewijne, along the banks of the Commewijne river, stands a place that says nothing and tells everything. Broken chimneys, rusted steam engines, overgrown factory halls — Plantage Mariënburg is a ruin you don’t forget.
Fort Zeelandia
There are places you visit and places that stay with you. Fort Zeelandia is the second kind. Standing on the bank of the Suriname River, built from shell-stone and from bricks hauled over from Europe as ballast, this five-sided fort has seen more than most people see in a lifetime. The English, the Zeelanders, the French, a military regime — this fort has seen all of it.
Villa Zapakara
Some museums are built for adults who walk quietly past paintings. Villa Zapakara is built for children who touch things, play, ask questions and can’t sit still. And, to be honest, for the adults who still have a bit of that in them. Since 2009 Villa Zapakara has been opening the doors of the world to the children of Suriname. No glass cases. No “do not touch” signs. Here you bring the exhibition to life yourself — through stories, role play and activities, guided by staff who know how to let a child discover something without pushing.
Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam
At the point where the Suriname River and the Commewijne meet stands a fort that has seen everything. War, occupation, imprisonment, and now one of the most absorbing open-air museums in Suriname. Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam was built between 1734 and 1747, born of necessity after a devastating raid by French buccaneers in 1712.
Jodensavanne Monument
Along the Suriname River, deep in the rainforest of Para, lies a place with no equal anywhere in the world. Jodensavanne was the only village ever wholly owned, governed and inhabited by Jews — founded in the 1680s, in the middle of the Surinamese jungle.