Fort Karl

Fort Karl is a historic military fort located in Gustavia, the capital of Saint Barthélemy. It was built by the Swedish in 1789 and was named for Karl XIII. Today, the location of the fort's remains is a protected site, managed by the Conservatoire du littoral.^[1]

Fort Karl
Gustavia, Saint Barthélemy
Site information
Type	Fortification
Owner	Conservatoire du littoral
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Ruins
Location
Fort Karl Show map of Saint Barthélemy Fort Karl Show map of Caribbean
Coordinates	17.8952725°N 62.84781309°W / 17.8952725; -62.84781309
Site history
Built	1789

Location

The site of Fort Karl is located in southwest Gustavia, on small hill approximately 34 meters (111ft) high.^[2] The site overlooks Gustavia and its port (to the northeast) and Shell Beach (to the southeast).^[1][3] The surrounding islands of Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Saint Martin are visible from the fort's location.^[1]

History

Fort Karl was built in 1789 during the era of Swedish rule of Saint Barthélemy, which lasted until 1878.^[1] It was built to protect Gustavia's harbor and valuable salt industry against attacks from the south, and was strategically significant due to the island's position.^[1][4] It was one of the three forts surrounding Gustavia during the Swedish era, along with Fort Gustav and Fort Oscar.^[5][6] Fort Karl was named for Karl XIII, the brother of Swedish King Gustav III. By the late 19th century, the remains of the fort had fallen into ruins.^[1]

The Fort today

Only ruins remain at the site of Fort Karl.^[1] In 2007, the Conservatoire du Littoral took possession of the Fort Karl site, and they have since restored some of the remains of the fort.^[1][3][7] Preservation is managed locally by the Saint-Barthélemy Nature Reserve.^[1] The Fort Karl site is a popular location for hiking and whale watching, due to the panoramic views offered by the site's position.^[8][9]