Independence Memorial Museum

The Independence Memorial Museum is the clearest place in Windhoek to understand how Namibia became a country. Opened in March 2014 to mark the 24th anniversary of independence, it occupies a tall, triangular glass building on the slope of Robert Mugabe Avenue, between the Christuskirche and the old German fort, the Alte Feste. The building was put up by Mansudae Overseas Projects, the North Korean firm that also built Heroes' Acre, and its style contrasts sharply with the colonial architecture around it. That contrast is part of the point: the museum replaced the old colonial monuments on this hill as the city's main statement about its past.

The displays run upwards in chronological order. The first floor covers colonial repression, including early resistance leaders and the war against German rule that began in 1904. The next floor deals with the liberation struggle, the armed wing PLAN and the long border war under South African administration. The third floor follows the road to independence, with SWAPO's diplomacy and UN Security Council Resolution 435, and has a platform overlooking the main hall. Much of the material is photographs, paintings and text panels, so allow time to read.

Do not leave without taking the glass lift that runs up the outside of the building. The fourth floor, the highest open to visitors, has a restaurant with wide views over the city centre, Parliament Gardens and the hills beyond, and is a good place for a drink after the galleries. Outside, a bronze statue of founding president Sam Nujoma stands at the front, holding a copy of the constitution, and south of it is the Genocide Memorial, a sculpture of a couple above a traditional dwelling with the inscription "Their Blood Waters Our Freedom".

Entry is free. The City of Windhoek lists opening hours of 09:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 17:00 on Saturdays, with the museum closed on Sundays. Most visitors spend between one and two hours here. The galleries are serious in tone and some images of the colonial war are distressing, which is worth knowing if you are visiting with younger children.

The museum is an easy walk from Independence Avenue and sits within a few minutes of the Christuskirche, the Tintenpalast and the National Art Gallery, so it works well as the first stop on a half-day walk around the government quarter. Visit in the morning, when the light is good for photographs from the top floor and the streets are cooler.