The Castle of Good hope is South Africa's oldest remaining building in use today.
This old fort was designed according to the old defense system of The Netherlands. It was built in a pentagonal shape with the five points of the star forming the bastions. The stone walls between the bastions are 150 meters long and 12 meters high. Fortunately its strength was never tested, so the structure is still very original.
The bastions were named after the titles of the Prince of Orange, who was the ruler at the time. The five bastions are:
Katzenellenbogen
Nassau
Oranje
Leerdam
Buren
In 1936 the building was declared a national monument and today houses the famous William Fehr Collection of historical paintings and period furniture.
The Military Museum depicts the military history of the Cape and has one of the most important sword collections in the country.
Sections of the moat and Het Bakhuys (an early 18th century bakery) have also been reconstructed during the restorations.
Top Tip 1 The best time to visit is in the morning when a ceremonial changing of guard takes place at 10:00 and again at 12:00.
Top Tip 2 Let the children experience the total darkness in the dungeons.
