Historic Area of Willemstad, Inner City and Harbour, Curaçao

Pastel gables line a Caribbean harbour: Willemstad looks like Amsterdam repainted in the tropics. Founded by the Dutch in 1634 beside Curaçao's superb natural anchorage, the town grew district by district, absorbing Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese colonial influences through centuries of trade. UNESCO inscribed the historic area, inner city and harbour in 1997; the floating Queen Emma pontoon bridge still swings open for ships.