Castle of Good Hope

The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest building in South Africa. Its construction dates back to 1666, when the Dutch merchant Jan van Riebek, guided by the rules of the East India Company, founded a small fort on the coast near Table Mountain. The main task of the fort was to provide provisions for friendly ships found in these parts.

In the next thirty years, the fort was rebuilt into a full-fledged fortress. This was facilitated by an established trade route near the coast. The castle has a pentagonal shape, and its walls rise ten meters.

Since 1936, half of the castle has been converted into the National Museum of Military History. In the other half and to this day there is a military headquarters.