Panoramix writes: "Nowadays it’s hard to find a reason to be proud to be Haitian. So I thought of something that I could use as an anchor to lift my head high and say we are a great nation. Of course I’ll share my secret with the members of one of my favorite sites, it’s “La Citadelle La Ferriere”. I went to Haiti less than 2 years ago, rented a 4WD SUV (a must if you plan to go to the provinces) and drove to Cap-Haitien. On our way there we had to choose between “LaBadie” (the beach) and “Citadel La Ferriere” because we had to back to Gonaive on the same day. At first we chose “Labadie” and I don’t recommend anybody driving there, the road is in terrible shape. Plus the beach is not open to the local Haitians on week days and after a certain hour. The best way to go is through one of those tours. So we drove to Milo, which is about an hour away from Cap-Haitien and we got to Palais Sans-Souci. There we hired a guide to take us to the Citadel. The weather was not too good so we had to go back without touring the citadel. But the Citadel is the proof that we once had a great nation. We defeated France, one of the super powers at the time. We had great leaders like Henri Christophe and Jean-Jacques Dessalines, but they failed to unite to build the foundation of our nation. I looked and found this site, that has an article on the Citadelle and here’s an extract:

“Built by King Henry Christophe as a protection against a possible French invasion, the Citadel was an integral part of the Haitian stsrategic defense to ensure the success of the Haitian Revolution. The Citadel's construction started in 1805 and ended in 1820 with King Henry's death. Until now it remains one of the most prestigious piece of military architecture in the world. At 900 meters above sea level, covering an area of one hectare, this cyclopean chef d'oeuvre dominates the entire northern region where most of the historical events that will shape the history of the area took place. Etienne Henry Barré is believed to be the architect.
The Citadel has one of the richest collections of artillery in the world, more than 160 pieces from different countries: France, Spain, England, etc. The most valuable ones are kept in a wing of the edifice turned into a museum. The Citadel's renovation which started in 1979 and ended in 1990 was made possible by the joint effort of the Institut pour la Sauvegarde du Patrimoine National (ISPAN) and UNESCO. The Citadel in conjunction with the "Site des Ramiers", and the Sans-Souci Palace is part of a historical park covering an area of 25 square kilometers. Whether it is for historical, military or architectural purposes, King Henry's Citadel has a lot to teach us. It is a place of high historical achievement; a place where confronted with the exploit of our past we can put our own lives in perspective.”"