Paramaribo began as a fort on a shell ridge at a bend in the Suriname River. The French built a wooden stockade here in the 1640s, the English strengthened it as Fort Willoughby, and in 1667 a squadron from Zeeland under Abraham Crijnssen took it and gave it the name it still has. The small pentagonal brick fort you see today dates largely from the following decades.
It has been a garrison, a prison and a museum, and in December 1982 it was the place where fifteen prominent opponents of the military regime were killed. That history is told on the spot, which makes Fort Zeelandia both the prettiest corner of the city and its most serious one.
Top things to do: Fort Zeelandia
The Surinaams Museum
The fort’s buildings house the national museum of history and culture: Amerindian archaeology, the plantation economy and slavery, Maroon and Javanese collections, a reconstructed pharmacy and changing exhibitions. It is small and uneven but the best single overview of the country.
The courtyard and bastions
Walk the inner court with its brick officers’ quarters, then climb to the bastions for the view over the river to Commewijne. The cannons point at the water the Dutch feared an enemy fleet would come up.
The December murders memorial
On 8 December 1982 fifteen men — lawyers, journalists, trade unionists, academics and soldiers — were shot at the fort. Bastion Veere, where it happened, is a memorial, and the bullet marks have been left in the wall. It is a quiet place; treat it as one.
The officers’ houses and riverside
Outside the gate, the row of wooden officers’ houses on Zeelandiaweg is among the best-preserved streets in the city. A statue of Queen Wilhelmina stands near the river, moved here from Independence Square after independence, and there is a café terrace under the trees.
How to get to Fort Zeelandia
- The fort stands at the eastern end of the Waterkant, next to Independence Square — a few minutes’ walk from the Presidential Palace and from the hotels on Kleine Waterstraat.
- Any taxi driver knows it; from the north of the city the ride takes ten to fifteen minutes.
- It is the natural starting point for a walk through the historic inner city.
Insider tips
- The museum keeps short hours, typically mornings to early afternoon, and is closed on at least one weekday and on public holidays. Check current times before you go.
- There is a modest admission fee, payable in cash; guided tours are sometimes offered on Sundays.
- The grounds and riverside can be visited when the museum is closed.
- Combine it with the Palmentuin next door and coffee on the riverside terrace.
Tours: Fort Zeelandia
GetYourGuide lists only a handful of Suriname tours. These are the real, bookable ones most relevant to Fort Zeelandia:
Private tour from €799 per group Paramaribo: Heritage & Landmarks Private Guided Walking Tour
The one dedicated city tour of Paramaribo on GetYourGuide: a private five-hour walk through the UNESCO-listed inner city with a local guide, taking in Fort Zeelandia, the Palm Garden, the markets and the Waterkant, with a meal along the way. It is priced per private group of up to three, so it works best when you can share the cost.
- Fort Zeelandia, the Palmentuin and the riverside
- Markets and colonial landmarks with a local guide
- Private group, meal included
Workshop from €55 Paramaribo: Hands-on Aromatherapy Candle Making Workshop
A gentle ninety-minute workshop in the city in which you pour and scent your own candle to take home. It has nothing to do with sightseeing, which is exactly the point: a good filler for a rainy afternoon or the hot middle of the day.
- Make your own Suriname-inspired candle
- Small group in a tropical setting
- A souvenir you take home the same day
