Castle Of Good Hope

The Castle of Good Hope – the oldest building in South Africa – was once a fort, but today functions as a showcase of the Cape’s early days.

The famous Dutch architect, Menno van Coehoorn in 1697, built the Castle of Good Hope and the purpose was to protect the passage to India of the Dutch East India Company around the southern tip of Africa (at that point in time known as the Cape of Good Hope).

The Castle lends itself to many present day activities, such as open-air concerts with Table Mountain as a backdrop, film and fashion shoots as well as a variety of venues for corporate functions and conferences. Inside the walls of the Castle are amongst others, a church, bakery, living quarters, offices, cells and numerous other facilities. The yellow paint on the walls was chosen to reduce the glare from the sunlight and also because it reflects the heat.

The Castle is the best preserved of the entire Duct East India Company’s castles and it was declared a National Monument in 1936.

Guided tours are conducted by Castle guides from Monday to Saturday at 11:00, 12:00 and 14:00. Traditional ceremonies take place during weekdays. The Key Ceremony was performed in the Castle from its earliest days and depicts the unlocking of the Castle of Good Hope. This ceremony takes place at 10:00 and 12:00 during weekdays. The firing of the signal cannon directly after the Key Ceremony is symbolic to indicate the significance of cannons at the Castle of Good Hope. The Castle Guard performs both these ceremonies.

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