St Helier is the capital of Jersey and home to about a third of the island's population. It sits on the south coast around a natural harbour, with Elizabeth Castle standing on a tidal island at the entrance — accessible on foot at low tide or by amphibious ferry when the water comes in.
The town centre is compact and walkable, built around a pedestrianised high street and the covered Central Market, a Victorian iron-and-glass hall filled with flower stalls, delis, and a good cafe. King Street and Queen Street have the usual chain shops, but the real finds are in the side streets — antique dealers, independent bookshops, and a few proper Jersey cider outlets.
Jersey sits outside the EU and VAT does not apply, which makes some goods noticeably cheaper. The harbour area has been redeveloped with restaurants and a waterfront promenade. For history, the Jersey Museum on Pier Road covers everything from Neolithic Jersey to the German Occupation, and 16 New Street preserves a Georgian merchant's townhouse almost exactly as it was left in the mid-1800s. Royal Square, where the island's parliament sits, is where Charles II was proclaimed King in 1649. Liberation Square, where the Jersey Museum stands, commemorates the island's liberation from Nazi occupation on 9 May 1945.