Willemstad
Like Havana and San Juan, Willemstad is a typical port town. A chief town of Curacao and the Netherlands Antilles, is one of the world’s richest cities in culture and diversity. It has a population of 135,000, comprising 55 nationalities. Located on the southern coast of Curacao in the Caribbean Sea, historic Willemstad earns the UNESCO hallmark of World Heritage City in December 1997.
The city itself is actually divided in two sections — Punda and Otrobanda. They are separated by the St. Anna bay but connected by the Queen Emma pontoon bridge. Both sections provide visitors with duty-free shopping. Punda and Otrabanda are opened in 1888 and rebuilt in 1939. It underwent a major restoration in the early 21st century. A fixed bridge was completed in 1974.
The modern town consists of several distinct historic districts whose architecture reflects not only European urban-planning concepts but also styles from the Netherlands and from the Spanish and Portuguese colonial towns with which Willemstad engaged in trade.
