Designated a “City of Art and History,” Saint-Pierre has many stories to tell. This cultural hub of Martinique was known as the “Paris of the Caribbean” until the eruption of Mount Pelée destroyed the city in 1902. At the Frank A. Perret Museum, founded by an American volcanologist in 1933, fascinating relics, photographs and film tell the history of the catastrophe and Saint-Pierre’s rebirth. Today the emerald slopes of Mount Pelée rise over the quaint seaside town, where monuments like the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption were lovingly rebuilt while ruins like the Church of the Fort and the prison dungeon remain as a poignant tribute to the past. Modern Saint-Pierre offers all of the delights that draw visitors to Martinique, including a bustling market square, charming French colonial architecture, a yacht-filled harbor, and secluded beaches with exotic black sands. Divers flock here to explore the many shipwrecks in the waters offshore, further remnants of the volcanic event.
