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Curacao

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Spanning St. Anna Bay, the Queen Emma floating bridge at Willemstad, Curacao is the oldest permanent wooden pontoon bridge in the world. Known as the “Swinging Old Lady,” the bridge connects Willemstad's two halves, Punda and Otrobanda, and was named after Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, who was queen consort of the Netherlands during its construction in 1888. The bridge is supported by 16 pontoon boats and laterally swings open to allow ships to enter and leave the bay. With the opening of the Juliana Bridge in 1974, the Emma Bridge became solely a pedestrian bridge closed to all vehicles.
The historic area of Willemstad, Curacao’s capital city, began as colonial trading and administrative settlement established by the Dutch in 1634 with the construction of Fort Amsterdam on Sint Anna Bay. Willemstad’s architecture is influenced not only by its Dutch colonial roots, but also by the tropical climate and styles from towns throughout the Caribbean region which were trading partners. The red, blue, yellow ochre, and green on Willemstad buildings date from 1817 when the previous white lime finish was prohibited to protect eyesight from the glare. In 1997 Willemstad was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Mikvé Israel-Emanuel (The Hope of Israel-Emanuel) synagogue in Willemstad, Curaçao, was consecrated in 1732 and is the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Americas. It was established by Spanish and Portuguese Jews from the Netherlands and Brazil who traced their roots back to the Iberian Peninsula in the 1500s. The synagogue floors are covered in sand, per Dutch-Portuguese Jewish tradition, reminding congregants of the 40 years the Jews spent wandering the desert in biblical times and how Portuguese ancestors muffled sounds of sacred prayers and song during the Inquisition. Willemstad was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997 for its colorful and historical Dutch colonial architecture that includes the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel synagogue.
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