INFORMATION PAGES
SOUTH AFRICA'S MOST COMPREHENSIVE HOTEL GUIDE - AT YOUR SERVICE
|
|
|
|
 |
You are here : Home / Cape Town City Center Info
|
|
|
|
Cape Town City Center and Foreshore |
Foreshore & Heerengracht:
This land was reclaimed from the sea between the years of 1930 to 1940 which pushed the cape Town City a further 2 km into the Bay. The highlight of the foreshore today is the new, state of the art Cape Town International Conference Center, CTICC. The conference center plays host to many national and international conferences, exhibitions, sporting events, theater productions and many more exciting events which draws thousands of visitors to the city every year.
We recommend the following accommodation in this area:
***Star: Victoria & Alfred Waterfront City Lodge
*****Star: Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel
Heerengracht Street is dotted with fountains and statues of the Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Diaz as well as Governor Jan van Riebeek and his wife Maria. The memorial to South African soldiers who lost their live in both world wars can also be found here.
The Nico Malan Theater Center is home to the Cape Town Philharmonic and Cape Town Performing Arts Board.
Adderly Street:
This street is named after a British politician who thwarted attempts to turn Cape Town into a convict station. Heerengracht Street turns into Adderley as you move towards the upper end of Cape Town City and from there it turns into Government Avenue. It is here where the statue of Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese sailor who rounded the Cape in 1498 on his way to the East, can be found.
The Cape Town City Center is a buzz of activity and there are many sites to see, amongst them are:
The Cape Town Company Gardens was laid by Jan van Riebeek to serve as a garden to grow fresh fruit and vegetables for the passing ships. Today it serves as a botanical garden which is a favorite for walkers and squirrels alike.
The garden serves as the backdrop to many of the city’s points of interest such as:
• The House of Parliament
• South African National Gallery
• South African Museum
• Tynhuise, the President’s city office
• The Great Synagogue and Jewish Museum
• Planetarium
• Cultural History Museum
• Groot Kerk
• The Castle of Good Hope, City Hall & Grande Parade
The Castle of Good Hope was built in 1666 to fortify the Cape of Good Hope and was built over the original site of Jan van Riebeeck’s original fort. The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town is home to the National Defense Forces Museum and has many artifacts on display from the period during the Dutch rule at the Cape. Visitors can view the changing of the guard every day at noon.
The Grand Parade opposite the Cape Castle was originally a military parade ground and it was on this parade ground in 1990 that 250 0000 came to see Nelson Mandela after his release from Robin Island. The parade ground now serves as a market on Wednesday and Saturday every week.
The City Halls in Cape Town was built in 1905 out of Granite and Marble, Italian Renaissance.
Cape Town’s Green Market Square started out as the town’s first market in 1710 and has seen many traders come and go. Today it is for the best part a curio market where prices are negotiated on spot with locals and tourists alike. The whole atmosphere of the square is very vibrant and a must see.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
  
 |
|
|
|
|
|
