Tintenpalast and Parliament Gardens

The Tintenpalast, or Ink Palace, is the seat of Namibia's parliament and one of the most important colonial buildings in the city. It was built in 1912 and 1913 as the administrative headquarters of the German colonial government and opened in April 1913. The nickname refers to the quantities of ink used by the officials who worked there. The architect was Gottlieb Redecker, who also designed the Christuskirche across the road, and the front has a restrained neoclassical façade.

Its history is uncomfortable. The building was put up using forced labour by Herero and Nama people who had survived the genocide that began in 1904 and the concentration camps that followed. After independence in 1990 it became the home of the National Assembly, and it now houses both houses of parliament, the National Assembly and the National Council. The number of members grew after a constitutional change in 2014, and there have been calls for a larger building, so its future use may change.

For most visitors the Parliament Gardens are the main reason to stop. The lawns, trees and paths around the building are a favourite lunchtime and weekend spot for Windhoek residents, and they are one of the few large patches of green in the centre. Bring something to sit on and look up at the Christuskirche spire across the road. The gardens are also the best place to photograph the building's façade.

Because this is a working parliament, access to the interior cannot be taken for granted. If you are keen to see inside, contact the Parliament of Namibia in advance to ask about visits or public galleries during sittings. Security staff may limit where you can walk near the entrance, so follow their instructions and avoid photographing guards or checkpoints.

Allow 20 to 45 minutes, depending on how long you linger in the gardens. The Tintenpalast sits on Robert Mugabe Avenue in the government quarter, a short walk uphill from Independence Avenue. It pairs naturally with the Christuskirche, the Independence Memorial Museum and the National Art Gallery, and the whole group can be covered on foot in a morning. The gardens are at their most pleasant early in the day or in late afternoon, outside the hottest hours.