Citadelle Laferrière The Citadelle Laferrière or , Citadelle Henry Christophe , or simply the Citadelle ( in English , spelled Citadel ) , is a large mountaintop fortress in northern Haiti , approximately south of the city of Cap - Haïtien and five miles ( 8 km ) uphill from the town of Milot . It is the largest fortress in the Americas and was designated by the United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) as a World Heritage Site in 1982 — along with the nearby Sans - Souci Palace . The mountaintop fortress has itself become an icon of Haiti . The Citadel was built by Henri Christophe , a key leader during the Haitian slave rebellion , after Haiti gained independence from France at the beginning of the 19th century . History . The massive stone structure was built by up to 20 , 000 workers between 1805 and 1820 as part of a system of fortifications designed to keep the newly independent nation of Haiti safe from French incursions . The Citadel was built several miles inland , and atop the Bonnet a L ’ Eveque mountain , to deter attacks and to provide a lookout into the nearby valleys . Cap - Haïtien and the adjoining Atlantic Ocean are visible from the roof of the fortress . Anecdotally , it is possible to sight the eastern coast of Cuba , some to the west , on clear days . The Haitians outfitted the fortress with 365 cannons of varying size . These were obtained from various nations , and still bear the crests of 18th Century monarchs . Enormous stockpiles of cannonballs still sit in pyramidal stacks at the base of the fortress walls . Since its construction , the fortress has withstood numerous earthquakes , though a French attack never came and it was eventually abandoned . Henri Christophe initially commissioned the fortress in 1805 . At the time , Christophe was a general in the Haitian army and chief administrator of the country ' s northern regions . In 1806 , Alexandre Pétion launched a coup against Haiti ' s emperor , Jean - Jacques Dessalines though General Christophe was aware of this through his system of spies he did not warn Dessaline viewing his assassination as a necessary evil that would permit him to achieve his goals . Dessalines ' s death led to a power struggle between Christophe and Pétion , which ended with Haiti divided into northern and southern states , with the north under Christophe ' s presidency by 1807 . He declared himself king in 1811 . The Citadel was part of a system of fortifications that included Fort Jacques and Fort Alexandre , built on the mountains overlooking Port - au - Prince . Dessalines ordered those forts built in 1805 to protect the new nation against French attacks . In the event of an invasion , Christophe planned to have his military burn the valuable crops and food stocks along the coast , then retreat to the fortress , setting ambushes along the sole mountain path leading to the Citadel . Christophe suffered a stroke in 1820 , and some of his troops mutinied . Shortly afterwards , he committed suicide — according to legend , by shooting himself with a silver bullet . Loyal followers covered his body in quicklime and entombed it in one of the Citadel ' s interior courtyards to prevent others from mutilating the corpse . Description . The colossal physical dimensions of the fortress have made it a Haitian national symbol , featured on currency , stamps , and tourist ministry posters . The fortress walls rise from the mountaintop and the entire complex , including cannonball stocks but excluding the surrounding grounds , covers an area of . Workers laid the large foundation stones of the fortress directly into the stone of the mountaintop , using a mortar mixture that included quicklime , molasses , and the blood of local cows and goats — and cows hooves that they cooked to a glue and added to the mix to give the mortar added strength and bonding power . Large cistern s and storehouses in the fortress ' s interior were designed to store enough food and water for 5 , 000 defenders for up to one year . The fortress included palace quarters for the king and his family , in the event that they needed to take refuge within its walls . Other facilities included dungeon s , bathing quarters , and bakery ovens . Also visible is the tomb of Christophe ' s brother - in - law , killed when the gunpowder room he was in exploded . The Citadel ' s appearance from the trail leading up to its base has been likened to the prow of a great stone ship , jutting out from the mountainside . The structure is angular and assumes different geometric forms based on the viewer ' s orientation . Some of the angles on the Citadelle were intentionally put there by Christophe to deviate cannonballs if attacked and the Epaulette is a great example of using angles to deviate and deflect shots . Hundreds of years later the use of angles were used by the Russians on their tanks during WWII as a defensive tool . Though most of the fortress has no roof as such ( the interior top is a latticework of stone walkways ) , some slanted portions are adorned with bright red tiles . The fortress has been repaired and refurbished several times since its construction , including in the 1980s with help from UNESCO and the World Monuments Fund , though little of it has been replaced and its design remains the same . Tourism . The Citadel is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Haiti . Directions to and history of the fortress are provided by self - appointed guides from the town of Milot . Near the entrance to Sans - Souci Palace , which is at the start of the trail to the Citadel , visitors may be asked to pay a small fee . Visitors are also encouraged to rent a horse for the uphill trek . The first portion of the seven - mile ( 11 km ) trail is navigable by 4WD vehicle , although infrequent landslides and construction projects sometimes make this unreliable . Numerous people live along the trail and sell souvenirs or drinks , such as fresh coconut juice , to travelers . Drinks are a necessity in the tropical heat . The trail is paved stone , generally smooth and in good condition , a legacy of the Jean - Claude Duvalier regime . About three - quarters of the way up from the parking lot , visitors must complete the final portion on horseback or on foot . The entire seven - mile - trail , starting in Milot , is almost completely uphill , but can be walked by experienced hikers who carry plenty of water . Most of the interior of the Citadel fortress itself is accessible to visitors , who may also climb the numerous staircases to the fortress ' s roof , which is free of guardrails . On a clear day , the city of Cap - Haïtien and the Atlantic Ocean can be seen to the north . Because of its elevation the top of the Citadel is used by United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti ( MINUSTAH ) for a Radio repeater , with an antenna on the highest point . Though the turbulent political situation in Haiti ( principally in the central region ) has deterred visitors in recent years , the regions of the north and south of the country remain largely peaceful , making travel to the Citadel less challenging or hazardous than travel within the Haitian capital , Port - au - Prince . Conservation and safety concerns . After visiting the Citadel in July 2012 , President Michel Martelly heavily criticized the National Institute for Historic Preservation ( ISPAN ) — the organization tasked with preserving Haiti ’ s cultural heritage sites — describing the site as in a state of disrepair and calling ISPAN ' s efforts “ unacceptable . ” His visit was intended to assess the state of the Citadel for conservation , but he refused to visit its upper levels , deeming them unsafe for visitors . Global Heritage Fund , a California - based non - profit organization , has investigated the Citadel for a multi - year project of historic monument conservation , community development , training and cultural heritage revitalization . The project would focus on both the Citadel and nearby Sans - Souci Palace , with hopes of preserving the structures as safe tourism sites to promote sustainable local economic growth .