Haut-Du-Cap can be explored through several specific points of interest: Vertières represents the battle for Haitian independence, Habitation de Bréda is associated with the history of Toussaint Louverture, and cassava bread is part of northern Haiti’s food culture. Together, these themes give the trip a historical and culinary focus.

Vertières and the history of independence

The Vertières monument stands in the rural section of Haut-Du-Cap, at the entrance to Cap-Haïtien. On November 18, 1803, Vertières was the site of the decisive battle for Haitian independence: Haitian troops defeated the French army there. The monument was erected in memory of the heroes of the Indigenous Army. Haut-Du-Cap is designated as a site of historical remembrance.

The years 1803 and 1804 mark different points of reference: the Battle of Vertières took place in 1803; Toussaint Louverture was a significant figure in the 1804 Revolution. This distinction helps place the battlefield and Louverture’s connection to Haut-Du-Cap in their respective historical contexts.

Habitation de Bréda and Toussaint Louverture

Habitation de Bréda is also in Haut-Du-Cap, on National Highway 1. Toussaint Louverture was enslaved there. His particular historical connection to Haut-Du-Cap is therefore linked to a specific place and complements the connection to Vertières with the story of a significant figure in the 1804 Revolution.

Memorial sites and landscape

A little west of Haut-Du-Cap, on its plateau, stands the Blockhauss de Bréla. It is a multistory pentagonal fortification with stone-throwing devices and cannons, and is considered the outermost fortification on the route taken by the Indigenous troops. Morne du Haut du Cap has a different historical designation: a decree in March 1947 declared it a protected forest. The pentagonal shape describes the five-sided ground plan of the multistory fortification.

Lakou Breda is in the Haut-Du-Cap area. The grounds cover 7 hectares. The surrounding area is characterized by tropical landscapes. The grounds include discovery trails. If you plan to visit them, please check the current access and visiting arrangements in advance.

Cassava bread and regional food culture

Cassava bread is a cassava flatbread and is considered a heritage of the island’s first inhabitants. In the Nord region, sweet cassava bread is especially common, prepared with coconut, milk, sugar and ginger. The cassava bread tradition extends beyond Haut-Du-Cap; its sweet variety is particularly common in the Nord region.

A 2013 tourism inventory describes cassava bread shops on National Highway 1 as stops where travelers can buy cassava bread; it also lists cassava bread shops in Mombin Lataille, Haut-Du-Cap. If you plan to stop at one, please check in advance whether it is currently selling cassava bread.

Discover more destinations: Milot, Vaudreuil, Dot, Cap-Haitien.

Go to the regional travel overview: Nord.