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The town comes alive at around 5.30am at the outdoor market (fish and produce early on, clothing and crafts later) at Vendor's Plaza, in front of Emancipation Park , a shady respite from the hustle and bustle, which commemorates the 1848 emancipation of the island's slaves. Just below the park, on Waterfront Highway, is the red-brick Fort Christian (Mon-Fri 8am-4.30pm & Sat 10am-3pm), the oldest standing building on the island. Danish troops resisted attacks from the Spanish, British, French and pirates here and during its 300-year life the fort has also been a jail, church, courthouse, and home for the governor. Inside, the Virgin Island Museum (Mon-Fri 8.30am-4.30pm; free) evocatively charts the islands' history from pre-colonial times to the present day. Due south, on Veteran's Drive, the lime-green Legislature Building (daily 8am-5pm) is the place where the Danes transferred ownership of the islands to the US in 1917; today it's the seat of the USVI governing body. Head north on a steady climb up Government Hill, taking a break first at Norre Gade, where the Georgian-style Frederick Lutheran Church stands on the site of the first Danish church in the Virgin Islands, which was destroyed by fire. The current structure, built by black parishioner, Jean Reeneaus, dates to the early nineteenth century. Northeast of the church, on Kongens Gade, the imposing white mansion of Government House (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; free), built in 1867, was originally a meeting place for the Danish Colonial Council. Now the administrative headquarters of the US Virgin Islands it also houses a museum showcasing work by famous local artists like Camille Pissarro and Pepino Mangravatti. Just to the west is the start of the palm-lined 99 Steps (there are actually 103), which lead north towards the top of Government Hill affording exquisite views of the harbour and beyond. Laid in the mid-1700s by Danes living in the hills, they were the original access to the waterfront and to Blackbeard's Castle , otherwise known as Fort Skytsborg, said to have been the tower the legendary pirate Blackbeard used for an unobstructed view of the ocean. Heading back to the main shopping area, stop off at Crystal Gade to see the charming St Thomas Synagogue (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm) with its white pillars, stone walls, mahogany pews and sand floor (symbolizing the exodus from Egypt). The building dates to 1833 and is the western hemisphere's second oldest synagogue, not to mention the longest continually in service in America. Next door, the Weibel Museum (same hours) is an interesting exhibition of the three hundred years of Jewish history in the islands. Just before you hit the shops check out the Camille Pissarro Gallery , 14 Main St, where the artist was born in 1830. One of the founders of the French Impressionist school, Pissarro grew up on this street, working for his father; his experiences here would become the subjects of some of his later paintings.
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