High above Charlotte Amalie is Skytsborg (“sky tower”), a round defensive tower built by the Danish in 1679 to watch for enemy ships which might attack Fort Christian and other harbor settlements. While there was a real pirate called Blackbeard (Edward Teach) who prowled nearby waters, his association with the site owes more to tradition than history.
And anyway, who needs a history lesson when you have one of the great Caribbean views laid out before you. The visual feast encompasses dramatic green slopes, bobbing yachts, hulking cruise ships and outlying islands. Facilities at the site include a swimming pool and snack bar.
Skytsborg is on Government Hill, above central Charlotte Amalie. Start at Kongens Gade, site of the charming colonial Government House, and climb 99 Steps, a scenic stairway constructed with ballast from Danish warships.
