Castle of Good Hope

Attraction · 17th-century fort and museumCity Centre, Cape Town

Built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679, the five-bastioned Castle of Good Hope is South Africa's oldest surviving colonial building.

At a glance

Type: 17th-century fort and museum
Area: City Centre, Cape Town, South Africa
Opening: Open daily · 09:00–16:00
Official site: castleofgoodhope.co.za

Good to know

Military museum
William Fehr Collection
Guided tours

Why we recommend it

The Castle of Good Hope is a pentagonal bastion fort built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679, and it is the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa. Its first stone was laid in January 1666, the five bastions were named in 1679, and the bell tower above the main gate followed in 1684. The castle originally stood close to the shoreline, before land reclamation moved the sea further away.

Inside the thick walls, the courtyards and buildings hold several collections. The Castle Military Museum covers the site's long military history, while the William Fehr Collection displays paintings and antique furniture from the Cape's colonial period. The Cape Heritage Museum looks at South African history more broadly, including the Khoi and San, Dutch colonial rule, slavery and apartheid. You can also walk sections of the ramparts for views across the Grand Parade towards Table Mountain. Over the centuries the castle served as the administrative and military heart of the Cape, first under the Dutch and later under the British, and the buildings around its courtyards reflect those different periods. The present gated entrance dates from 1682, when it replaced the original entrance that faced the sea.

The castle is open daily from 09:00 to 16:00, with last ticket sales at 15:45, and closes on Christmas Day and Workers' Day. Guided tours are offered, and they help bring the history of the building to life. Allow one to two hours for a visit, more if you want to see every collection in detail.

It is a good stop for history enthusiasts and families with older children, who usually enjoy the ramparts, the moat and the old cannons. Some areas involve steps and uneven surfaces, so wear comfortable shoes.

The castle is on the eastern edge of the city centre, close to the Grand Parade and Cape Town City Hall and within walking distance of Cape Town railway station. The District Six Museum on Buitenkant Street is just around the corner, and the two make a strong half-day pairing for anyone wanting to understand the city's past, from the arrival of the Dutch to the forced removals of the apartheid era.