Explore inside and along the ramparts of the oldest colonial building in South Africa – a five-pointed, star-shaped castle designed as a Dutch fortress and built in the 17th century.
See the changing of the guard (Key Ceremony) at 10am sharp, then peer into the underground cells and tour the Military Museum. Don't miss the William Fehr Collection, a superb collection of colonial Cape paintings, furniture, antiques and artefacts.
The fortress was built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679 to replace an older clay and timber fort constructed in 1652 by Jan van Riebeeck, the Dutch commander who settled Cape Town.
The stone-walled fortress was once surrounded by a moat and features a wall that divides the inner courtyard, built in order to protect civilians in case of attack.
The Castle of Good Hope never saw action but is considered the best-preserved example of a Dutch East India Company fort and is still used today by the South African Defence Force.
Location: 1 Buitenkant St., Cape Town Central, Cape Town
Phone: 021/787-1240
Admission: R25
Hours: Daily 9am-3:30pm; free tours at 11am, noon and 2pm
Website: www.castleofgoodhope.co.za
Latest update: Castle of Good Hope: 12 July, 2024
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