List of Historical Places in Suriname

Suriname’s mix of coastal towns, riverine settlements and inland caves tells a layered story of Indigenous life, colonial trade and cultural exchange. Walkable forts, plantation houses and remote rock art sites all offer snapshots of different eras without needing a long itinerary.

There are 29 Historical Places in Suriname, ranging from Batavia to Werehpai Caves. For each entry I list Location (city/region),Era (year or period),Significance (15 words max), so you can quickly compare where a site is, when it dates from and why it matters — you’ll find below.

How accessible are these sites for visitors?

Access varies: coastal forts and towns are generally easy to visit year-round, while remote sites like cave art often require guided trips, permits or river transport; check local tour operators and opening rules before you go.

What should I know about preserving these places when I visit?

Follow local rules, stay on marked paths, avoid touching fragile surfaces or artifacts, take only photos, and hire accredited guides where available to minimize impact and support conservation.

Historical Places in Suriname

Images and Descriptions

Historic Inner City of Paramaribo

Historic city center of Paramaribo and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shows Dutch colonial wooden architecture from the 17th–19th centuries. Contains government buildings, churches and merchant houses. Illustrates colonial urban planning and cultural mixing in Suriname.

Fort Zeelandia

Dutch colonial fort on the Suriname River in Paramaribo. Dates to the 17th century and saw many colonial-era events. Served as a military post and trading control point. Houses a museum with artifacts and exhibits on colonial history.

Presidential Palace of Suriname

Neoclassical wooden palace facing Independence Square in Paramaribo. Built in the colonial era as the governor’s residence. Now serves ceremonial and official functions. Stands as a symbol of national government and history.

Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral

Large wooden Roman Catholic cathedral in Paramaribo. Built in the late 19th century with notable timber construction. Serves as a major religious and architectural landmark. Reflects the city’s historic faith communities.

Neveh Shalom Synagogue

Historic synagogue in central Paramaribo linked to a long-standing Jewish community. Dates back to colonial times through later rebuilds. Represents Jewish religious life and cultural ties in Suriname. Symbolizes interfaith history in the city.

Mosque Keizerstraat

Historic mosque on Keizerstraat in Paramaribo, opposite the synagogue. Rebuilt over time since the 19th century. Serves as an important center for Muslim worship. Demonstrates Paramaribo’s tradition of religious coexistence.

Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam

Star-shaped fortress at the mouth of the Suriname and Commewijne rivers. Built in the mid-18th century to defend the river approach. Functions today as an open-air museum with barracks and artillery displays.

Jodensavanne Archaeological Site

Former Jewish plantation settlement on the Suriname River from the 17th–18th centuries. Contains ruins, an old synagogue site and cemeteries. Provides key evidence of early Jewish presence and colonial plantation life.

Plantation Mariënburg

Large late-19th-century sugar factory and plantation in Saramacca. Known for labor unrest and a major strike in 1902. Contains industrial ruins and tells the story of plantation labor and commerce.

Plantation Peperpot

Historic sugar estate in Commewijne turned heritage and nature reserve. Dates to the 18th–19th centuries. Shows plantation layout, restored buildings and secondary forest on old cane lands.

Plantation Frederiksdorp

Restored plantation village on the Commewijne River dating to the early 19th century. Contains colonial houses, gardens and interpreted historic spaces. Offers insight into plantation life and local conservation efforts.

The Waterkant

Riverside quay and promenade in Paramaribo lined with colonial wooden houses. Longstanding trading quay since the colonial period. Serves as the city’s social and commercial riverfront.

Palmentuin (Palm Garden)

Small 19th-century public garden in central Paramaribo. Features rows of royal palms, pathways and monuments. Functions as a historic green space near government buildings.

De Waag

Old weigh house near the Waterkant in Paramaribo built in the 18th century. Served merchants and trade in colonial times. Now hosts exhibits about commerce and town life. Remains an iconic wooden historic building.

Ministry of Finance Building

Historic government building in central Paramaribo with colonial-era architecture. Dates from the late 19th to early 20th century. Reflects administrative history and the city’s civic landscape.

Batavia

Historic plantation estate in the Commewijne district with colonial houses and ruins. Dates to the plantation era and shows plantation layouts. Represents the agricultural economy and settlement patterns of the colony.

Werehpai Caves

Cave complex in Sipaliwini District with prehistoric petroglyphs and rock art. Contains archaeological evidence of early Indigenous presence. Serves as an important cultural and prehistoric site in Suriname.

Groningen

Town and former plantation in Saramacca District dating to the 18th–19th centuries. Retains colonial buildings and a riverfront character. Functions as a regional market and historic town center.

Plantation Rust en Werk

Historic plantation estate on the Suriname River from the colonial era. Contains plantation houses and landscape features. Illustrates agricultural practices and labor structures of the plantation period.

Plantation Bakkie

Plantation site along the Suriname River corridor from the colonial period. Holds ruins and built traces tied to sugar and coffee production. Offers insight into plantation infrastructure and rural history.

Redoute Purmerend

Small colonial redoubt or fortification near plantation country. Built to protect plantations and river routes during the colonial era. Serves as a tangible reminder of local military history.

Hoekhuis

Historic corner house in Paramaribo near the Waterkant with 18th–19th-century wooden architecture. Served both commercial and residential roles historically. Stands as an example of colonial urban housing.

Heiligenweg

Historic street or path in Paramaribo linked to early town layout and routes. Contains older houses and traces of colonial development. Shows how urban form evolved over centuries.

Central Market

Main market in Paramaribo near the harbor and Waterkant. Longstanding trading place with wooden stalls and vendors. Offers local produce, crafts and a vivid sense of daily life in the city.

Onafhankelijkheidsplein (Independence Square)

Central public square in Paramaribo in front of the Presidential Palace. Hosts ceremonies, monuments and civic events. Functions as a focal point for national identity and public gatherings.

Lawitour Spoorlijn (Lawitour Railway)

Historic early 20th-century railway built to reach interior goldfields and support transport. Now partly abandoned with visible track sections and bridges. Illustrates industrial and transport history in Suriname.

Nieuw Nickerie Watertoren (Water Tower)

Historic water tower in Nieuw Nickerie, Nickerie District. Built in the early 20th century as part of municipal infrastructure. Stands as a visible town landmark and engineering relic.

Saamaka Marron Museum

Museum dedicated to Saramaka (Saamaka) Maroon culture, history and art. Displays crafts, tools and oral histories. Provides direct insight into Maroon resistance, life and cultural traditions.

Vierkinderenbrug (Four Children Bridge)

Historic bridge in rural Suriname linking plantation roads and communities. Dates to the colonial or early modern transport era. Serves as an engineering landmark and local crossing point.

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