Remote (over 2000km from the nearest major landmass) Saint Helena has achieved fame as Napoleon’s place of exile after Waterloo. Napoleon spent the last six years of his life here. Although Saint Helena is a British Territory, France has acquired several properties related to Napoleon and a French representative remains on the island to look after those possessions.
Longwood House is the primary place where Napoleon lived until his death in 1821. Many of his possessions, furnishings and a lock of his hair are on display at Longwood House. It lays a claim to being the best Napoleonic museum in the world.
The other French possessions are the Briars Pavilion and the Valley of the Tomb. Before moving to Longwood House, Napoleon stayed at the Briars Pavilion for several months, and the residence has been restored to its appearance during that time. The Valley of the Tomb is where Napoleon was laid to rest until his body was exhumed and returned to France in 1840.
Other than as a place of exile and imprisonment (it also served as a POW camp for Boer prisoners of the British Empire), Saint Helena is known among connoisseurs for its gourmet coffee. Once praised by Napoleon, and the rage of the European markets, this coffee is extremely exclusive and ultra premium due to the miniscule production (12 tons).
The Royal Mail Ship St Helena is the only way to reach the island if you don’t own your own boat. It reaches Saint Helena approximately once every two weeks. There are plans for an airport in 2010 that will reduce Saint Helena’s isolation.
Log In
