Windhoek Tourism Information

Quick Facts: Windhoek

• Windhoek is the capital and the largest city of Namibia
• Windhoek is located in the central part of the Republic of Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area which lies at around 1,700 metres above sea level
• Windhoek has an approximate population of about 300,000
• Windhoek is the major commercial, financial, social, cultural and economic centre of Namibia
• Christ Church: a Lutheran church constructed under Pastor Wilhelm Anz in April 1896 and located next to the Parliament Gardens and Tintenpalast
• St. Mary's Cathedral
• The Zoo Park in Windhoek is a public park on Independence Avenue in downtown Windhoek
• Tintenpalast is the seat of both chambers of the Namibian legislature, the National Council and the National Assembly
• Alte Feste / "Old Fortress": built in 1890, it features today the National Museum
• Supreme Court of Namibia
• Three castles of Windhoek built by architect Wilhelm Sander: Heinitzburg, Sanderburg, and Schwerinsburg
• National Library of Namibia
• Windhoek Railway Station
• Holy Cross Convent School made in 1906
• Daan Viljoen Game Reserve situated near Windhoek
• Windhoek Public Library built in 1925, next to the Alte Feste
• Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport is located 45 kilometres outside of Windhoek
• Eros Airport is the busiest airport in Namibia when counting the take offs and landings

Introducing Windhoek

Windhoek is the capital and the largest city of Namibia. Windhoek is located in the central part of the Republic of Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area which lies at around 1,700 metres above sea level.  Windhoek has an approximate population of about 300,000.

 

Due to its relative size, the capital city of Windhoek in Namibia is also the centre of social, economic, and cultural activity in the country.  Every national enterprise and large company in Namibia have its headquarters in Windhoek.

 

Furthermore, Windhoek is the major commercial and financial centre of Namibia, Southern Africa.  In the southern, eastern and western direction Windhoek is surrounded by rocky, mountainous areas which make the land development in these sectors costly. The south side of Windhoek is not suitable for industrial development because of the presence of underground aquifers. This leaves the vast Brakwater area north of Windhoek the only feasible place for Windhoek's expansion.

 

The capital city of Windhoek in Namibia is divided into different suburbs:

• Academia
• Auasblick
• Avis
• Cimbebasia
• Dorado Park
• Eros
• Eros Park
• Goreangab
• Hakahana
• Hochland Park
• Katutura
• Khomasdal
• Kleine Kuppe
• Klein-Windhoek
• Lafrenz Industrial Area
• Ludwigsdorf
• Luxury Hill
• Northern Industrial
• Olympia
• Otjomuise
• Pioneers Park
• Prosperity
• Rocky Crest
• Southern Industrial
• Suiderhof
• Wanaheda
• Windhoek Central
• Windhoek North
• Windhoek West

Demographics of Windhoek

 

In 1971, there were approximately 26,000 Whites living in Windhoek, outnumbering the Black population of 24,000.   Today, about one-third of the Whites 9,000 are Germans.  Windhoek's population at present is over 300,000 (67% blacks, 16% whites, 17% Coloureds, Basters and Asians).

 

Airports near Windhoek

 

There are two airports which provide international access to Windhoek in Namibia.  The Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport is located 45 kilometres outside of Windhoek.  This airport in Namibia handles over 400,000 passengers a year. It has one runway without capacity limitations. Other international airports are located in Walvis Bay and Luderitz. The Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport directly connects daily to Frankfurt. Southern Africa's hub, Johannesburg, is only a two-hour flight away, from where it is possible to connect to more than 50 cities. South African Airways, LTU, and Air Namibia all have daily flights to Windhoek International Airport, while TAAG Angola Airlines has bi-weekly turnarounds to Luanda.

 

Eros Airport is the busiest airport in Namibia when counting the take-offs and landings.  The Eros Airport in Windhoek handles around 12,000 individual flights a year, the majority of which are light aircraft. Primarily, limitations such as runway length, noise, and airspace congestion have kept the Eros Airport in Namibia from developing into a larger airport. Most of Namibia's charter operators use the Eros Airport as their base.