| Bertram
House. cnr Orange Str &Government Ave. A late Georgian
redbrick house. Now a museum furnished in the style
of a wealthy, 19th century, British residence in Cape
Town, it includes superb collections of furniture, porcelain
and silver and has a delightful, period garden. Tel
24 9381.Bo-Kaap. Islam settled in this brightly-coloured
Cape Town quarter housing South Africas first mosque.
The pioneers and Holy Saints who came to this country
as political exiles are buried in Tana-Baru, the oldest
cemetery in the area.
Bo-Kaap Museum. 71 Wale Str. The influence of Eastern
and Western cultures, early political exiles and prisoners
from the Dutch East Indies in the 18th century, is evident
in this 1760 house. Breakwater Prison (Lodge). Portswood
Rd, Waterfront.
The Breakwater Prison was built in 1895 to house convicts
who were set to work cutting stone for the breakwater.
A treadmill installed in 1890 to discipline recalcitrant
prisoners is on show. Today it houses the UCT Graduate
School of Business and the Breakwater Lodge. Cape Medical
Museum. Portswood Rd. Early Cape medical history lives
in the former residence of the superintendent of the
defunct city hospital. . Castle of Good Hope. Buitenkant
Str. Built between 1666-1679, the Castle is the oldest
building in South Africa. It is a pentagonal fortification
with a moat and bastions at each corner, named after
the titles of the Prince of Orange. It serves as a military
base and contains historical objects, including the
William Fehr Collection of paintings, carpets and other
objects. A dolphin pool is on view. City Hall. Darling
Str. Completed in 1905, it overlooks the Grand Parade
and houses the City Library and the Cape Town Philharmonic
Orchestra. The Municipal Carillon in the tower, containing
thirty-nine bells and dating back to 1923, is occasionally
operated.
Companys Garden, The. Upper Adderley Str. The oldest
garden in South Africa, it was established in 1652 by
Jan van Riebeeck as a vegetable garden to supply fresh
produce to passing ships. The sundial dates from 1787
and the Bell Tower from 1855. District Six Museum. 25A
Buitenkant Str. Commemorates the forced removal of 50
000 people to the Cape Flats and the obliteration of
the once vibrant District Six. Its community spirit
is recreated in exhibitions, guided walks and the collection
of artefacts.
Dragon Boat Racing. This spectacular and exciting sport
was started in Cape Town in 1992 when two beautiful
ceremonial wooden dragon boats were presented to the
city by our Taiwanese sister city. Fleamarkets. Church
Str, in the pedestrian mall between Long and Burg Sts.
Greenmarket Square, Burg Str between Long and Shortmarket
Sts. Green Point Stadium. The Parade, Darling Str. Station
Market, Adderley Str. Stalls in front of the station
and on the station deck. Waterfront Explorers Market,
adjacent to the Maritime Museum.
Flower Sellers. Fresh flowers are on sale daily in Trafalgar
Place, Adderley Str, on the Grand Parade and from legal
hawkers around the city. French Redoubt Trafalgar Park,
bordered by Searle, Sir Lowry and Upper Warwick Sts.
To protect the Cape from British overland attack, a
line was built with the help of a French garrison from
Fort Knokke. Golden Acre. Floor tiles indicate the waterline
of Table Bay before land reclamation in 1935. The McClear
Cannon Two cannon sunk into the original Parade Ground
by astronomer Sir Thomas McClear to establish a permanent
length for checking land surveyor claims.
The Ruins. Remnants of a reservoir built in 1663 by
Commander Zacharias Wagenaar. Good Hope Centre. Sir
Lowry Rd. A large entertainment barrel vault, multipurpose
exhibition and convention complex. Tel 462 4400. Grand
Parade. Darling Str. One of Cape Towns historical squares,
it was a military parade during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Thick, red lines painted on the ground from the fruit
stalls to the King Edward Statue indicate the location
of the fort built before the Castle of Good Hope. Greenmarket
Square. Bordered by Shortmarket, Longmarket and Burg
Sts. Formerly the site of a vegetable and fruit market.
Today it is a bustling tourist haven and fleamarket.
Houses of Parliament. Parliament Str. Gallery tickets
are available during parliamentary sessions. Guided
tours are conducted each morning. Enter through the
Parliament Str gate. Jewish Museum. 84 Hatfield Str,
Gardens. South Africas first synagogue houses ceremonial
objects of significance and memorabilia of Cape country
communities.
Koopmans de Wet House. 35 Strand Str. Built in 1701
it was once the cultural salon of Cape Town. A collection
of Cape furniture and silver, and Dutch Delftware. The
vine in the courtyard is reputedly one of the oldest
in the country. Martin Melck House. 96 Strand Str. An
18th century townhouse built as the parsonage to the
adjoining Lutheran Church. The plaster decoration and
front door carving are by Anton Anreith.
Michaelis Old Town House, Greenmarket Square. This exquisite
1755 former city hall houses a world-renowned collection
of Dutch and Flemish pictures by old masters.
Military Museum. The Castle of Good Hope, Castle Str.
The military history of the Cape from 1510 and that
of the Castle itself, is recreated.
Noon Gun. Signal Hill, Bo-Kaap. Originally, the gun
signalled the correct time to ships in Table Bay. In
1918, the Mayor instituted a two-minute, midday pause
to pray for men fighting at the front during World War
I.
Planetarium. SA Museum, Queen Victoria Str. Get to know
your universe. New shows every three months.
Robben Island. A national monument, Robben Island is
one of the most significant historical sites in South
Africa. First used by the Dutch East India Company (VOC)
as a victualling station, it became an asylum and leper
colony. Later, it fell under the Army and Navy and,
in 1960, under the Department of Correctional Services.
It gained notoriety as a gaol for those considered dangerous
to the old South African social order including, for
more than two decades, President Mandela, the islands
most famous former prisoner. Tours of the island and
visits to Robben Island Museum can be arranged. Booking
must be done well in advance.
SA Air Force Museum. Ysterplaat Airforce Base, Piet
Grobler Str, Ysterplaat. The early days of the Royal
Flying Corps and the flight towards the SAAirforce are
illustrated.
SA Astronomical Observatory. Off Liesbeek Parkway, Observatory.
Guided tours every month on the second Sat at 20h00.
SA Cultural History Museum. 49 Adderley Str. The former
slave lodge and Supreme Court houses an overview of
local and international history, customs and tradition,
including the only collection of postal stones in the
world. Specialist collections include philately, numismatics,
costumes, musical instruments and decorative arts.
SA Fisheries Museum. Study fascinating, historical objects
and documents, consult a small reference library and
interact with Emmy - the do-it-yourself computerised
marine encyclopaedia. Also - alternating thematic exhibitions,
audiovisual presentations, models of fishing boats in
action, fishing gear and various items of interest.
SA Maritime Museum. Dock Rd, Waterfront. In the heart
of Cape Towns old working harbour, the museum includes
a ship model workshop, a lighthouse multi-media spectacular
and a hands-on childrens discovery cove. SAS Somerset.
Alfred Basin, Table Bay Harbour. The only boom-defence
vessel preserved in the world is moored opposite the
V&A Hotel in the Waterfront. The boom-defence display
in the SA Maritime Museum illustrates the function of
these vessels during World War II.
SA Museum. Queen Victoria Str. The oldest museum in
sub-Saharan Africa was established in 1825 and represents
a classic meeting of nature and culture. Explore the
stars, San rock paintings or fall under the spell of
the visually stunning, acoustically perfect whale well
(used occasionally for concerts).
SA National Gallery. South Africas premier art museum
houses southern African, British and European art collections.
Exhibitions of paintings, works on paper, photography,
sculpture, beadwork, textiles and architecture are mounted
regularly to give visitors insights into an extraordinary
range of aesthetic creation and production. Scratch
Patch and Mineral World Gemstone Boutique. Dock Rd,
V&A Waterfront. Visitors can enjoy scratching for
multihued gemstones.
Sendinggestig Museum. 40 Long Str. Exquisitely restored,
this 1804 slave chapel exhibits Christian missions in
the Western Cape.
Stal Plein (Square). Plein Str. Formerly a stabling
area for the Dutch East India Company, the square contains
the Anreith gateway to the Lodge de Goede Hoop (the
first Masonic Lodge in South Africa), the entrance to
Tuynhuys - the office of the President - and the Flame
of Remembrance.
Two Oceans Aquarium. Dock Rd, Waterfront. With more
than 4 000 creatures, representing some 300 species,
a once-in-a-lifetime experience of the South African
coasts underwater world awaits you. Visit the Bayfront
Restaurant and the Aquarium gift shop.
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Victoria and Alfred
Basins, Table Bay Harbour. Built in 1860, and still
a working harbour, the Victoria and Alfred has been
developed into one of South Africas biggest tourist
attractions. Prince Alfred, Queen Victorias second son,
tipped the rock signalling construction of the breakwater.
Original buildings have been renovated and new ones
built, all in Victorian style. There are museums, boat
trips (including the historic Penny Ferry), helicopter
flips, walking tours, restaurants catering to every
taste, pubs, a brewery, two shopping centres, hotels,
theatres, cinemas (including the five-storey, large-screen
Imax Cinema), an outdoor amphitheatre, craft markets,
live music and a rich variety of outdoor entertainments.
The unusual is well represented in the Telecommunications
Exploratorium, a gemstone Scratch Patch, indoor golf
and the Two Oceans Aquarium. An information centre,
good security and ample parking contribute to the Waterfronts
popularity and your pleasure. |
