Cape Town: History and Culture

Description:

Temporary "home" to many of South Africa's most famous anti-apartheid activists including Nelson Mandela, Robben Island served as prison, place of learning, and international symbol of apartheid governance. Today, the island is an UN World Heritage Site and has taken on the role of museum with tours led by former prisoners. Access is available by ferry from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V and A Waterfront. Book ahead to ensure availability and allocate half a day to the full trip.

Our Local Expert Says:

Popular and convenient restaurant at the Waterfront serving decent food.

Description:

This revamped first-storey restaurant should not be confused with the rowdy Quay Four Tavern downstairs. This Waterfront venue offers great service and fabulous fare. Situated in a former dockside warehouse with a view facing Table Bay, Quay Four is now decorated in light blues and cream, with blue-upholstered wooden chairs, terracotta tiled floor and warm fireplace. The contemporary global menu is characterised with seafood and Asian influences. The sautéed baby calamari with chilli-orange is a classic, while there is a good pasta selection and curry choice for vegetarians. The range of wines is small and the prices fair.

Description:

Jan van Riebeek led the first European settlement in the Cape, and his instructions were to build a permanent settlement when he arrived in 1652. His first fort laid the foundations of the city of Cape Town, and the Castle soon replaced this fort on the same site. Built between 1666 and 1679, the Castle is in the shape of a pentagon, each side at 175 metres in length, and with walls standing at over 10 metres high. The Castle open day is a great opportunity to revel in the fascinating history of Cape Town, with entertainment including tours of the castle, a tempting variety of cuisine, musical performances and children's activities. The Castle is open to the public year-round.

Description:

Mama Africa's serves up fantastic food from across the African continent in a funky, boisterous atmosphere. Warm, friendly waiters provide information on the range of dishes brought to the table to be shared 'family style.' A great place for a relaxed group gathering, a cultural experience, and fun cultural eating.

Description:

This hotel, built in 1771, is situated in the proximity of the colourful Bo-Kaap area. This opulent boutique hotel offers tastefully appointed rooms, each with en-suite bathrooms, digital safes, fully stocked minibars and international plug points. As well as 24-hour room service, valet parking, and security. The hotel's central location enables easy access to restaurants, wine merchants, art galleries, fashion shops, Parliament and other popular attractions.

Description:

Home to a large collection of cultural artifacts, the Slave Lodge in Cape Town's city bowl is a small museum dedicated to slavery in the Cape. The Slave Lodge was built in 1679 by the Dutch East India Company. Including housing nearly a thousand slaves, the building was the Cape's main brothel. After the British takeover, the building became the Supreme Court, a post office, government offices, and eventually a museum.

Our Local Expert Says:

Interlinked with the struggle against apartheid, St George’s Cathedral is one of Cape Town’s landmark sites. Modern day Cape Tonian activists often use the Cathedral as a launching place for activities and action.

Description:

A landmark site for its role in South African history and a meeting place for modern day protests, St Georges Cathedral in the heart of Cape Town represents a time of change in South Africa. In 1986, Desmond Tutu was enthroned as the first black archbishop of South Africa. From the doors of Ste Georges Cathedral, he led numerous marches and campaigns for the formal end of apartheid.

Description:

Before the bulldozers of the apartheid government came in the 1960s and 70s, District Six was a 55,000 strong close knit lively community known for its jazz and anti apartheid sentiments. The District Six Museum is a small but creatively powerful museum that captures the history and culture of the neighborhood. Across town, the Bo Kaap offers a taste of a Cape Malay neighborhood that survived the apartheid years in Cape Town.

Our Local Expert Says:

Temporary “home” to many of South Africa’s most famous anti-apartheid activists including Nelson Mandela, Robben Island served as prison, place of learning, and international symbol of apartheid governance. Today, the island is an UN World Heritage Site and has taken on the role of museum with tours led by former prisoners. Access is available by ferry from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V and A Waterfront. Book ahead to ensure availability and allocate half a day to the full trip.

Description:

One of the oldest residential areas of Cape Town, the Bo Kaap is a unique neighborhood with a strong cultural and social history. Home of a "Cape Malay" community, the neighborhood is a collection of brightly painted houses and mosques. Strolling through the streets (daytime and larger streets only) of the Bo Kaap provides a taste of a distinctly Cape Tonian community and lifestyle. If you find yourself in the area for dinner, try out Biesmielleh restaurant on Wale Street that serves delicious Cape Malay fare. A visit to the District Six Museum will offer some more insight into the history of the Cape Malay community of Cape Town.

Our Local Expert Says:

Local family owned Cape Malay restaurant. Good food, friendly service, and tacky décor.

Description:

Situated in the heart of the Bo Kaap and family owned and operated, this Cape Malay restaurant has no pretentions, just good food and warm service. Local specialtys are served on plastic covered tables with 80's-style placemats and gold framed pictures on the wall. Remember, this is a real Cape Malay restaurant- no alcohol is to be consumed or bought on premesis.

Description:

This hotel, built in 1771, is situated in the proximity of the colourful Bo-Kaap area. This opulent boutique hotel offers tastefully appointed rooms, each with en-suite bathrooms, digital safes, fully stocked minibars and international plug points. As well as 24-hour room service, valet parking, and security. The hotel's central location enables easy access to restaurants, wine merchants, art galleries, fashion shops, Parliament and other popular attractions.

Description:

The Baxter was established in 1960 when the University of Cape Town inherited money to establish a theater to develop arts in Cape Town and adjacent districts. The main theater has staged local and international productions, musicals and dance. The Concert Hall, is perfect for both serious productions and experimental theater. A small studio can accommodate smaller events. The Sennheiser system provides for those with impaired hearing, and Medidrama gives free medical service to all patrons. Businessmen can host conferences and meetings at this venue. Check website for more details on current and upcoming events.

Description:

The city's showpiece theatre (formerly known as the Nico Malan Theatre), Artscape was officially opened in May 1971, and became the home of the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB). It has staged numerous opera, ballet, drama and music productions since, but has also been the scene for fashion shows, charity balls, art exhibitions and trade fairs. It offers a busy performance schedule with entertainment provided most Tuesday's to Saturday's. For further information please see the website.

Description:

This hotel, built in 1771, is situated in the proximity of the colourful Bo-Kaap area. This opulent boutique hotel offers tastefully appointed rooms, each with en-suite bathrooms, digital safes, fully stocked minibars and international plug points. As well as 24-hour room service, valet parking, and security. The hotel's central location enables easy access to restaurants, wine merchants, art galleries, fashion shops, Parliament and other popular attractions.

Description:

Vergelegen (meaning 'situated far away') was granted to Willem Adriaan van der Stel on 1 February 1700. Van der Stel transformed the uncultivated land into a veritable paradise. Vergelegen passed through a succession of owners, until Anglo American Farms purchased it in 1987. Visitors are welcome to stroll through the splendours that are Vergelegen. Upon entering the Octagonal Garden, brilliant colours and heady perfumes pay homage to the foresight of Lady Phillips, who from 1917 to 1940 lavished much time and attention on the grounds. The Lady Phillips Tea Garden is an ideal setting for an alfresco lunch, while the Rose Terrace provides visitors with the opportunity of enjoying refreshments during the summer months.

Description:

La Provence is situated in the middle of the Franschhoek Valley, just 40 minutes from Cape Town. The historic homestead was one of the original wine estates granted to Pierre Joubert in 1712, by deed of transfer from the then Cape Governor, Simon van der Stel. In 1984, La Provence became the founder member of 'Vignerons de Franschhoek', an organisation inspired by imaginative fellow wine farmers in the Valley of the Vines. The Franschhoek Valley has subsequently gained recognition as a pivotal point in the Cape Winelands. For several years, guests to the wine farm have enjoyed the historic splendour of the buildings - a national monument and regarded as one of the best-preserved homesteads in the Cape - while tasting the wine in the cellar adjacent to the building. La Provence is not only a country getaway with an interesting history, but also a tranquil retreat in the heart of the Franschhoek winelands.

Description:

Rhebokskloof Estate dates back to 1692 when Governor Simon van der Stel gave a free grant to Dirk van Schalkwyk, and is named after the small buck, rhebok, which used to roam freely in the area and may still occasionally be seen in the vineyards. The estate nestles in two valleys, adjoined by the Paarl Nature Reserve at the northern end of Paarl Mountain, and is renowned for producing some of the finest wines in the area. Several of its wines have been awarded gold medals at the annual Veritas Awards. The estate boasts the excellent Victorian and Cape Dutch restaurants, which are not named for their cuisine, but after the architectural style of the buildings in which they are housed. In the colder months, patrons are able to enjoy gourmet delights in cosy dining rooms, while in summer the sumptuous meals, prepared by chef Stefan Achterfeld, are served on a terrace overlooking the beautiful gardens, vineyards and mountains.