• Laurent du Maroni
• Information
• Traveler Advice
• Forums

48HourVisit.com

Planning a short visit? Check out 48HourVisit.com, your online guide for short stays and weekend getaways.

Ad

A border town northwest of French Guiana, St-Laurent rests on the Maroni River opposite Albina in Suriname. At around 1848, the Administration Pénitentiaire or French department of corrections built the city to become the welcome banner of penal colonies in the country, to reduce the cost of prisons in France, and to contribute to the colony's development. Four years later, around 70,000 prisoners, including the infamous Alfred Dreyfus and Henri Papillon Charriere, disembarked and said “hello” to the settlement before being transferred to their respective cells.

Like some of its prisoners, St-Laurent was sentenced to death when Le Bagne was abolished in the ‘50s, causing the town to lose its reason to breathe. Slowly, the town's prosperity drained and its former grandeur was left into the hands of the Atlantic's punishing heat wave, until all that was left were dusty roads and decaying wooden houses with rusting roofs.

Fortunately, a French Minister of Culture came to its rescue. Acknowledging St.-Laurent's high cultural and historical value, France made a major makeover of the town during the 1980s— not to restore its former glory, but to hype its “ghost town appeal.” Thus, in Camp de la Transportation, leg shackles, execution areas and narrow cells were restored to attract tourists. St-Laurent however, is not just a former arrival point for prisoners. It is a river town inhabited by people who have a long history of protecting the environment.

User blogs:

Cheaper galactic spaceliner unveiled

News from http://news.ph.msn.com/top-stories/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3737940 Richard Branson unveiled Monday a commercial spaceliner offering tourists a cheaper chance to experience the thrill of weightlessness and view the splendor of the Earth from space.   The British billionaire hopes to offer tickets aboard his spacecraft at a cost of 200,000 dollars each, giving adventurous ... Read full Blog post

Indonesia Eco Tourism

 Tour Itenaray Day 01 BALI - LABUAN BAJO – RINCA ISLAND – KOMODO ISLAND (L.D) Pick up from your hotel in Bali and transfer to the airport, for flight to Labuan Bajo (West Flores) for approximately one and half hours. On arrival in Labuan Bajo airport, will be welcomed and met with our local representative or tour guide. Than transfer to the harbour to catch a boat cross to Rinca ... Read full Blog post

San Gimignano and San Pellegrino

Night falls on the flourishing and industrious San Gimignano, its 72 towers stand on the low roofs of the houses lit by the moon. This is not a luxury travel spot but is something you don't see every day. In the distance the clatter of hooves echoed tired in the Via Francigena. The hand of the blacksmith stops beating, the frame of the weaver becomes silent, the streets of the tank only a concert ... Read full Blog post

An Aerial fiesta in Clark Pampanga

Its a party in the sky as multi colored hot air balloons piloted ny different pilots from various partso of the world participated in this annual gathering. As early as 5am, the 2,500 hectare aviation complex at Clar Economic Zone in Pampanga was already crammedi with excitement. Clusters of hot air balloon participants busily prepare their own balloons for liftoff as they need to take advantage of ... Read full Blog post