Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±

The Castle of Good Hope Cape Town South Africa. Oldest surviving Colonial building in South Africa. (Photo by: Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)

UIG via Getty Images

Castle of Good Hope

Cape Town

LoginSave

Built by the Dutch between 1666 and 1679 to defend Cape Town, this stone-walled pentagonal castle remains the headquarters for the Western Cape military command. There are free guided tours of the site (11am, noon and 2pm Monday to Saturday), and don’t miss climbing up to the bastions for an elevated view of the castle’s layout and across to Grand Parade.

Inside the castle, and covered by your entry ticket, the Military Museum is interesting, as are the displays of antiques and decorative arts in the William Fehr Collection.

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions

  • Flowers in the Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens below Table Mountain.

    Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

    4.28 MILES

    Location and unique flora combine to make these 5.28-sq-km botanical gardens among the most beautiful in the world. Gate 1, the main entrance at the…

  • Cape of Good Hope

    Cape of Good Hope

    29.86 MILES

    This 77.5-sq-km section of Table Mountain National Park includes awesome scenery, fantastic walks, great birdwatching and often-deserted beaches. The…

  • Table Mountain Aerial Cableway in Cape Town

    Table Mountain

    2.61 MILES

    Around 600 million years old, and a canvas painted with the rich diversity of the Cape floral kingdom, Table Mountain is truly iconic. You can admire the…

  • Prison Barrack on Robben Island

    Robben Island

    8.91 MILES

    Used as a prison from the early days of the VOC (Dutch East India Company) right up until 1996, this Unesco World Heritage site is preserved as a memorial…

  • Simondium near Paarl Western Cape South Africa, Vineyard of the Babylonstoren wine estate.

    Babylonstoren

    29.52 MILES

    This 2.5-sq-km wine and fruit farm is on the north slope of the Simonsberg mountain between Klapmuts and Paarl. Its highlight is an 800-sq-metre, formally…

  • African penguins on the stone in evening twilight. African penguin ( Spheniscus demersus) also known as the jackass penguin and black-footed penguin. Boulders colony. South Africa 628098086 Endangered Species, Wilderness Area, Stone - Object, Sea Life, Colony, Two Animals, Water Bird, Bird Watching, Arrival, Coastline, Dusk, Dawn, Twilight, Cute, Jackass Penguin, Animal Foot, Animal Wing, Fun, Wildlife, Nature, South Africa, Uncultivated, Animals In The Wild, Penguin, Sea Bird, Freshwater Bird, Bird, Animal, Sunset, Boulder - Rock, Sand, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Sea, Surf, flightless, Footed, south-africa, blackfooted, black-footed, Life, Aquatic

    Boulders Penguin Colony

    18.74 MILES

    This picturesque area, with enormous boulders dividing small, sandy coves, is home to a colony of some 3000 delightful African penguins. A boardwalk runs…

  • District Six Museum

    District Six Museum

    0.24 MILES

    It's impossible not to be emotionally moved by this museum, which celebrates the once lively multiracial area that was destroyed during apartheid in the…

  • Groot Constantia manor house in Cape Town, South Africa.

    Groot Constantia

    7.19 MILES

    Simon van der Stel’s manor house, a superb example of Cape Dutch architecture, is maintained as a museum at Groot Constantia. Set in beautiful grounds,…

View more attractions

Nearby Cape Town attractions

1. William Fehr Collection

0.04 MILES

Housed within the former Governor's Quarters at the Castle of Good Hope is the bulk of the William Fehr Collection, including some fabulous bits of Cape…

2. Castle Entrance Gate

0.06 MILES

The main entrance to the Castle of Good Hope, crowned by a bell tower, replaced the original sea-facing entrance to the fortress.

3. Secunde's House

0.06 MILES

Inside the Castle of Good Hope, the Secunde's House was built in 1695 and housed the second in command at the Cape.

4. Castle Military Museum

0.06 MILES

This interesting museum occupies the castle’s original bayside entrance. Inside you can see examples and vivid paintings of different military uniforms…

5. Grand Parade

0.13 MILES

A prime location for Cape Town’s history, the Grand Parade is where the Dutch built their first fort in 1652; where slaves were sold and punished; and…

6. Central Library

0.15 MILES

The Drill Hall, dating from 1889 and where Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 21st birthday, has been sensitively restored and turned into the city’s…

7. Homecoming Centre

0.16 MILES

This centre houses an annexe of the District Six Museum which is usually open for temporary exhibitions and events. Currently there's a wonderful…

8. We Are Still Here

0.17 MILES

Mosaic artists Lovell Friedman and Leora Lewis are the creators of this powerful artwork just outside the Central Library. A mosaic of ceramic tiles forms…