Paramaribo Landmarks and Architecture
Paramaribo’s old town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. Its character comes from the building material. Almost everything is timber, painted white with dark green or charcoal trim, on foundations of red brick. The sights below are all within a short walk of each other, and the area lies between the Suriname River and Keizerstraat. Prices are in Surinamese dollars (SRD) and most sights are free to see from outside.
Wood and brick on the waterfront
The best-preserved houses face the river on the Waterkant, at numbers 2 to 8. These are double-galleried merchant houses with steep shingle roofs, dormer windows, louvred green shutters and raised brick ground floors built to resist river floods. Two big fires, in 1821 and 1832, destroyed much of the earlier town, and this row went up in the years after. The Centrale Markt is nearby, open Monday to Saturday from 06:00 to 16:00.
The cedar cathedral
Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral on Henck Arronstraat was built from local cedar between 1883 and 1885. Its two towers date from 1901. The building was restored and reopened on 13 November 2010, and in 2014 it became a minor basilica. Wikipedia describes it as one of the largest wooden structures in the Western Hemisphere, at about 59 m by 16.5 m, with towers of 44 m. Inside, the wood is left bare, so the air smells of cedar. In the crypt lies the tomb of Blessed Peerke Donders, who cared for people with leprosy. Listed opening hours differ, and the doors are normally open when no Mass is under way. The Wikipedia article gives its history in more detail.
Two houses of worship on Keizerstraat
Neveh Shalom synagogue, at number 82, was begun in 1835 and finished in 1842. Today a Liberal congregation worships there, and a small museum shows its history. Visitors arrange a visit beforehand with the community, whose site is surinamejewishcommunity.com . Many people link the white sand on the floor with the desert wandering of the Israelites. Next door, Mosque Keizerstraat opened in 1984. Both are places of worship, so dress modestly and ask before taking photographs.
Government buildings and a palm garden
Onafhankelijkheidsplein faces the river and is lined with the white Presidential Palace of 1730, which you can see only from the street, and the Court of Justice. Behind the palace, the Palmentuin is planted with royal palms from the late 1600s. Gates are listed as open 06:00 to 18:00. Crime has been reported in the Palmentuin, including violent crime, so avoid it at dusk and at night.
The fort and its museum
Fort Zeelandia is a riverfront fortress at Abraham Crijnssenweg 1. Its restored officers’ houses make up the Surinaams Museum. One of its bastions, Bastion Veere, is a national monument for fifteen men killed in December 1982, and visitors usually stay silent there. Listed opening days are Tuesday to Friday and Sunday, with closing at 14:00, and the fort shuts on Monday and Saturday. Confirm hours and prices in advance.
Getting about
The area is flat. Look out for open drains by the road, and wear closed shoes. A taxi trip across town costs about SRD 100 to 150, and you settle the fare before you start. The Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge carries road traffic to Meerzorg and has no walkway.
Read more: Walking Tours in Paramaribo strings the sights together in a loop.
Booking help
Guided heritage tours are listed on Viator .