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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- Africa
- South Africa
- Cape Town
- Castle of Good Hope
Castle of Good Hope
South Africa's oldest building, the Castle was completed in 1679
(replacing an earlier mud and timber fort built by the first Dutch
Governor, Jan van Riebeeck). Situated adjacent to a parking lot and
bus station in Buitenkant Street, its walls mark the original
boundary of the seashore where the waves washed up against the
fortifications. Its outside aspect is somewhat foreboding, but
inside are some interesting features and collections that have been
restored, offering a good insight into the early days of the Cape
when it was the centre of social and economic life. The castle is a
pentagonal fortification with a moat and five bastions, each named
for one of the titles of the Prince of Orange. The entrance is a
good example of 17th century Dutch Classicism, and a bell, cast in
1679 by Claude Fremy in Amsterdam, still hangs from the original
wood beams in the tower above the entrance. The castle contains a
Military Museum depicting the conflicts that arose during the
Cape's early settlement, and also houses the William Fehr
Collection of decorative arts, including paintings, furniture and
porcelain. Of interest are the dungeons, which bear the graffiti
carved by prisoners incarcerated here centuries ago.
Information & Facts
Address
Buitenkant Street, opposite the Grand Parade
Admission
R25 (adults), R10 (children); half-price on Sundays.
Concessions available
Language
South Africa has 11 official languages, including
Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho. English is widely
spoken.
Money
South Africa's currency is the Rand (ZAR), which is divided into
100 cents. Money can be exchanged at banks, bureaux de change and
the larger hotels. ATMs are widely available (there is a daily
limit for cash withdrawals) and major international credit cards
are widely accepted, except in petrol stations where cash is
required. Visitors should be vigilant when drawing cash from ATMs,
as con artists are known to operate there. Travellers cheques and
some foreign currencies are accepted at larger hotels and shops,
but commission is charged, otherwise all commercial banks will
exchange them.
Opening Times
Daily 9am to 4pm, with tours at 11am, 12pm and 2pm
from Monday to Saturday. Self guided tours are possible with the
aid of a map, provided by the Castle
Time