Barbados in a Nutshell - 2022 - EBook

88 Sightseeing Historic Bridgetown & its Garrison By the 1690’s, Bridgetown was one of the two largest English port cities in the Americas. This once bustling hub of sea trade is now a picturesque careenage and bay, filled with pleasure boats. Bridgetown’s retention of a 17th century English medieval street serpentine layout is unique in the Americas. The historic architecture is still very evident throughout the city. Bearing testament to the old adage that change is the only constant, Bridgetown’s fortunes have waxed and waned over the past 400 years, but its long life has left a legacy of character and charm. In June 2011, Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison joined the ranks of iconic global landmarks as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Wherever you go in Bridgetown, up Broad Street, down Swan Street or wandering through Cheapside you can be sure of a real Barbados experience, unlike anything else in the world. For a tour with a difference, contact the folks at Lickrish Food Tours (622-1886) who offer fun and informative, off-the-beaten-path culinary walking tours of Bridgetown. A new attraction is the recently opened Exchange Interactive Centre on Spry Street. Housed within a beautifully restored 18th century building, it’s Barbados’ largest interactive centre with fascinating displays exploring commerce in the city over the past four centuries. Interestingly, the Nidhe Israel Synagogue and Museum , founded c.1654, is the oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere. There is an excellent interpretive museum and functional mikvah. In the graveyard, some of the graves date back to 1658. The Exchange Interactive Centre in Bridgetown