Otrobanda is one of the historic quarters of

Willemstad Willemstad ( , ; ; en, William Town, italic=yes) is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was the capital of the Netherlands Antilles pr ...

, located at the southwest side of the city, in

Curaçao Curaçao ( ; ; pap, Kòrsou, ), officially the Country of Curaçao ( nl, Land Curaçao; pap, Pais Kòrsou), is a Lesser Antilles island country in the southern Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region, about north of the Venezuela coa ...

. Otrobanda was founded in 1707, and has been designated a

Unesco The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

History

Otrobanda was founded in 1707 as a suburb of Willemstad on the other side of the

Sint Anna Bay Sint Anna Bay (Dutch: ''Sint Annabaai'') is a deep channel approximately one mile long and up to 1,000 feet wide, located on the island of Curaçao between the two parts of Willemstad, Punda and Otrobanda. The bay opens into the Caribbean Sea at ...

. Otrobanda was often referred to as the Spanish side, and

Punda Willemstad ( , ; ; en, William Town, italic=yes) is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was the capital of the Netherlands Antilles prio ...

and

Pietermaai Pietermaai is a neighbourhood and former suburb of Willemstad, Curaçao. Pietermaai was founded in 1675, and has been designated a Unesco World Heritage Site. History Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao was constructed as a walled city. It soon de ...

were called the Holland side. In 1752, In 1816, the population of Otrobanda was 2,527 people. In 1856, the

Sint-Elisabeth Hospital Sint-Elisabeth Hospital was the main hospital on Curaçao, located in the Otrobanda district of Willemstad. A new hospital, Hospital Nobo Otrobanda, to be called the Curaçao Medical Center was built as its replacement. Part of the existing ho ...

, the first hospital of the country, was opened in Otrobanda. In 2019, it was replaced by

Curaçao Medical Center Curaçao Medical Center is the main hospital of Curaçao. It is located in the Otrobanda district of Willemstad, and serves a replacement for the Sint-Elisabeth Hospital. The hospital opened on 15 November 2019, and has been constructed next to ...

which built next to the old hospital. the Basilica of St. Anne was built as the first Roman Catholic church on the island. The district saw a rapid population increase up in the early 19th century when the once walled city of Willemstad became overpopulated. Otrobanda was connected to Punda in 1888 via the

Queen Emma Bridge The Queen Emma Bridge ( nl, Koningin Emmabrug; pap, Brùg di Ponton, Brùg di Punda) is a pontoon bridge across St. Anna Bay in Curaçao. It connects the Punda and Otrobanda quarters of the capital city, Willemstad. It was named after Emma of ...

(affectionately known as "The Swinging Old Lady") and in 1974 by the Queen Juliana Bridge. The main center of Willemstad is separated in two quarters: Punda and Otrobanda, which stands for 'city' and 'the other side'. Otrobanda is home to

Kurá Hulanda Museum Kurá Hulanda Museum is an anthropological museum in Curaçao. The museum specialises in the Atlantic slave trade, and opened in April 1999. History The Kurá Hulanda Museum was an initiative of Jacob Gelt Dekker. In the late 1990s, he was appro ...

, an anthropological museum specialising in the

Atlantic slave trade The Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and ...

. The museum is considered one of the best historical restorations in Otrobanda. The

Curaçao Museum The Curaçao Museum (Dutch: ''Curaçaosch Museum'', Papiamentu: ''Museo di Kòrsou'') is an art and cultural history museum in Curaçao. The museum opened on 7 March 1948, and is the oldest museum in Curaçao which still exists. The museum is loca ...

is located in the former military hospital of Otrobanda. It opened its doors in 7 March 1948, and contains a large collection of paintings, furniture, glass, and textile. It regularly organises exhibitions of local and national artists. Many of the over 700 UNESCO listed buildings in Willemstad have been restored and/or renovated (on the inside) to serve as homes, shops, offices and accommodations like Poppy Hostel Curacao. The restored area now shelters Rif Fort Village, a shopping and entertainment center that offers panoramic views of Punda and the sea. The Brionplein (Brion Plaza) is the centerpiece of Otrobanda’s waterfront.

Rif Fort

The Rif Fort is a 19th-century defense monument which was built to protect the island from the invasion of pirates and enemies. Its key location was centered in the heart of Curaçao. It lies at the entrance of the

in the western Otrobanda neighborhood. Rif Fort is made of 1.5-meter thick coral walls that once stored over 56 cannons. Today, Rif Fort is a tourist attraction that features great local restaurants, live entertainment, trendy bars with Latin and Caribbean music and the rough waves that smash through the ends of the walls. The Fort was redeveloped by the Renaissance Curaçao Resort and Casino. Locals and tourists visit this site frequently.

Shops

The Renaissance shopping mall is a shopping center that is located across Rif Fort. Its features tall red buildings and bright green plants and a place for tourists to shop at; the shopping mall is home to more than 50 shops including various luxurious boutique shops.

References

Bibliography

* {{Authority control Populated places established in 1707 Populated places in Curaçao Willemstad