Heroes’ Acre

Heroes' Acre is Namibia's official war memorial and burial ground for national heroes. It sits in the hills about 10 km south of central Windhoek, beside the B1 road towards Rehoboth, and was inaugurated on 26 August 2002 by Sam Nujoma, the founding president. The site was designed and built with North Korean involvement, through Mansudae Overseas Projects, and covers almost three square kilometres.

The layout is symmetrical and built for ceremony. A stairway leads up the slope to a marble obelisk and an eight-metre bronze statue of the Unknown Soldier, which many observers note resembles Sam Nujoma. Around them are a curved relief depicting scenes from the struggle, an eternal flame that the City of Windhoek describes as burning around the clock, a large parade ground and a grandstand that seats around 5,000 people for official events. The City of Windhoek also lists a pavilion, a ceremonial gateway, a sculptured couple on the approach roundabout and a restaurant. There are 174 tombs, not all of them occupied, and the site has been the burial place of several prominent figures, including former president Hage Geingob in 2024. The nine original national heroes named when the memorial opened are commemorated with cenotaphs rather than graves, and further veterans were reburied here in 2014 and 2015.

The memorial divides opinion. Some commentators have criticised its scale and cost, and its socialist realist style is very different from anything else in Namibia. Others see it as a necessary statement of national memory. Either way, it is an important place for many Namibians, and the views back towards the city and across the Khomas Hochland are a bonus.

Practical details are not widely published, so check opening times locally before you set out, especially around public holidays and state events when the site may be closed to ordinary visitors. You will need your own transport, a taxi or a tour, as there is no regular public transport to the gate. Wear a hat and comfortable shoes for the steps, carry water and visit in the morning or late afternoon, as there is little shade. Behave as you would at any cemetery, and ask before photographing ceremonies or staff.

Allow about an hour on site plus travel time. Heroes' Acre combines well with the Independence Memorial Museum in the city, which explains the history behind many of the names honoured here.