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Built between 1666 and 1679, the
Castle is the oldest surviving building in South Africa. In 1936 it was
declared a national monument.
It houses the military personnel
of the South African national defence force in the Western Cape, the famous
William Fehr Collection of historic artworks, the Castle Military Museum
and ceremonial facilities for traditional Cape regiments. |
| The gateway - built in 1882 - replaced
the old entrance which faced the sea.
The bell tower, situated above the
main entrance, was built in 1684. The original bell - the oldest in South
Africa - was cast in Amsterdam in 1697 by Claude Fremy. It was used to
toll the hours and warn citizens of danger and it could be heard 10 kilometres
away. It was also rung to call residents and soldiers to the Castle for
important announcements.
Inside the walls of the Castle, are
amongst others, a church, bakery, living quarters, offices, cells and numerous
other facilities. |
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The inner courtyard is divided by
a wall, initially intended to provide protection to the inhabitants in
the event of an attack. The well known Kat Balcony is an outstanding feature
of the dividing wall. From this balcony, proclamations and announcements
were made to the soldiers, slaves and civilians at the Cape. The balcony
leads to the famous William Fehr Collection of historical paintings and
period furniture which have a special relevance to the Cape.
The original Dolphin Pool was named
after the impressive fountain in the form of a dolphin in the middle of
the pool. It was possible to make a replica of the fountain by examining
sketches and descriptions made by Lady Anne Barnard during the late 1790's.
The fountain has been reconstructed from the remains of the clay floor
and walls exposed in 1982. |
| The Castle is open Mon - Sun 9:00
- 16:00. Guided tours take place Mon - Sat 11:00, 12:00 and 14:00.
We also offer self-guided tours by means of a map in 7 languages, namely
Afrikaans, English, German, Dutch, Spanish, French and Italian.
Two traditional ceremonies daily
take place during weekdays. The ceremonies are performed by uniformed Castle
guards.
You are invited to dine at the De
Goewerneur Restaurant, nestled within the walls of the Castle. The
restaurant also caters for private functions, cocktail parties and weddings.
The Castle Shop also has many interesting Southern African memorabilia. |
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