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Summary
Unique Martinique attractions include the capital city of Fort-De-France for its architecture and history; the statues and gardens of La Savane; the former city of St. Pierre, where 30,000 residents were killed in 1902 by the volcanic eruption of Mont Pelee; and various cities and towns including Case-Pilote, Bellefontaine and Carbet, where Columbus landed in 1502 and where the artist Gauguin lived and painted in 1887.

Fort-de-France
One of the top sightseeing attractions of Fort-de-France, the capital, is the Bibliothèque Schoelcher (Schoelcher Library). The Romanesque-Byzantine building was constructed more than 100 years ago for the Paris Exposition of 1889, after which it was dismantled and shipped to Martinique. The library is named for Victor Schoelcher, a French abolitionist who helped end slavery on the island in 1848. The building is located by La Savane, the city's central park.

La Savane
La Savane's Caribbean gardens have statues of Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc, the French nobleman who claimed the island for France in 1635, and another one of Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie, who was born in Trois Ilets across the bay and became Napoléon's Empress Joséphine. Also nearby are the Cathedral of Saint-Louis, the Palais de Justice with a statue of Victor Schoelcher and the Musée Départemental with archaeological exhibits from early Martinique.

St. Pierre
St-Pierre, located north on the Caribbean coast, was the "Paris of the West Indies" until 1902 when Mont Pelée Volcano erupted and destroyed the city. A museum located there provides details and displays about the disaster. One-hour tours on weekdays and half-hour tours during weekends cost about $6 Euro for adults and $3 Euro for children. The fee includes train fare via the Cyparis Express and the tour.

Latouche's Creek Garden
Habitation Latouche was built in 1643 and is one of the oldest plantation estates of Martinique. The eruption of Mount Pelée  destroyed it in 1902, but many ruins remain. Jean Philippe Thoze, founder of the Balata Botanical Garden, has turned the grounds of Habitation Latouche into a garden where history and nature are intertwined. The garden is located in Carbet, Paul Gauguin's favorite village on the Caribbean coast. Open from 10 am to 5 p.m.