The Cape Town Castle was built between 1666 and 1679, making this impressive building the oldest in South Africa.

The castle, which was actually built as a defensive fort, was built to replace the smaller structure built by Jan van Riebeeck in 1652. It is pentagonal in shape and each of the five bastions were named after the main titles of Willem, the Prince of Orange.

Since 1936 the Castle has been officially a National Monument and welcomes thousands of visitors – tourists, locals and school children – each year. The Castle History Museum has a wealth of information to keep any history enthusiast happy for hours. Within the Castle one can view the William Fehr ‘Collection of Africana’, which provides a fascinating glimpse 17th and 18th Century Cape life.

An interesting fact about the Castle is that at the time of its building it was right on the beach. Today the ocean is a good few kilometers away, thanks to land reclamation over the interim years.

The castle is open daily from 09h00 to 16h00, Monday to Saturday, and open on Sundays during December, except for Christmas day and New Years day. You may wish to join one of the tours held at regular intervals through the day.

There is an admission fee and a snack shop and restaurant on the premises.