CPT: Castle of Good Hope

“Jan van Riebeck arrived here on 6 April 1652 to establish the Cape Colony for the Dutch East India Company.”

We learned that from a man who stopped us at the entrance of the Castle of Good Hope to ask if we were South African. When we told him that we weren’t, he explained that he was testing his fellow South Africans to see how many knew the importance of today.

The Castle was the first stop on today’s DIY sightseeing on our last day in Cape Town.

Built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666-1679, this bastion fort is the oldest existing colonial building in South Africa. It was originally located on the coastline of Table Bay. Land reclamation work now puts it inland … in the central business district. A National Heritage Site, the castle is considered to be the world’s best preserved example of a 17th century architectural structure.

We wandered the grounds at will, charmed by the golden-yellow walls of the buildings surrounding the two courtyards. Of the three museums within the walls, we skipped the Military Museum, visiting instead the Cape Heritage Museum with its very eclectic collection, and the William Fehr Collection … housed in a building with a beautiful wrought iron balcony. Our steps at one point took us to the top of one of the bastions … from where we were afforded a clear view of Table Mountain and the city skyline.

What surprised us was that on this beautiful blue-sky day there were very few visitors at what is an iconic landmark of the city. That did not change throughout the two hours we took to explore the castle. No complaints from us … we like having fewer people at the sites we visit.

A great start to our day.Läs mer