The Citadelle sits about 900 metres above the sea. To reach it, visitors walk or ride horses up a winding mountain path through tropical forest. When you finally arrive, the walls tower above you — some of them are 40 metres tall, which is about as high as a 13-storey building.
The fortress was built from 1805 onwards by an enormous team of builders, artisans, and craftspeople. More than 200,000 cannonballs were stacked up inside, but they were never needed. Visitors today can see the rows of old bronze cannons still pointing out from the battlements in every direction.
From the top, on a clear day you can see right across the mountains and all the way to the sea. The forest around it is home to colourful birds, including the Hispaniolan trogon — Haiti's national bird. The Citadelle and the nearby palace ruins of Sans-Souci are both listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites together.
Local guides lead groups up the mountain every day, sharing stories about the craftspeople and builders who shaped each stone by hand. It is a place that makes visitors feel amazed at what people can create together.