The Charlotte Amalie Historic District covers the grid of streets between the waterfront and the lower hillside, encompassing the old commercial and residential core of the Danish colonial city. Main Street and its cross streets are lined with two- and three-storey buildings in yellow and ochre stucco, built by Danish, Dutch, Jewish, and English merchants from the 17th century onwards. Most ground floors are now shops — jewellers, rum sellers, and duty-free boutiques — but the structure of the old trading city is remarkably intact.
Behind Main Street, narrow alleys and arcaded passageways — Riise's Alley, Royal Dane Mall, Palm Passage — cut through the blocks, linking the street to old warehouse courtyards. These back alleys are less crowded than the main drag and more interesting: original masonry, glimpses of inner courtyards, and the occasional discovery of a functioning local business among the tourist shops. The Emancipation Garden marks the western end of the district; the Fort Christian the eastern.