Housing military and historical art museums within a 17th-century castle
We attended the Ceramics Exhibition. Entrance is free. The Castle was clean; gardens amazing; views of city gorgeous; a coffee shop; impromptu exhibitions in the courtyard; three museums within the castle. Definitely worth a visit.
Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town. Built by the Dutch East India Company in the 1600s, this old fortress is often described as South Africa’s oldest surviving colonial building. From the outside, it looks like a military fort. Inside, it tells a much bigger story. There are maps of European ships rounding the Cape, paintings of first contact, old muskets, formal rooms where decisions were made, and displays that remind you those decisions were not harmless. Exploration, trade, military power, religion, slavery, and empire were all tangled together here. That is the part that stands out. History is rarely clean. The same voyages that opened sea routes also opened doors to conquest. The same buildings that represented order and civilization also helped enforce systems that treated people as property. The same tables where officials gathered were part of a world where others had no seat at the table at all. The Castle of Good Hope is impressive, but it is not just impressive. It is a reminder that power always leaves evidence behind — in stone walls, old weapons, formal rooms, and sometimes in chains behind glass.
A gem in decay. It can be so much more. Some brilliant displays but overall image of decay happening. Rubbish and junk allowed to lay around outside and in almost empty pool inside. Restuarant staff not friendly (chased school kids away from outside seating while some of the rest of group were buying drinks etc inside...there were no other customers) and can't speak a word Afrikaans (in a building created and constructed by our Dutch part of history!). Parking outside main entrance is dirty and feels unsafe. Waited long for a tour guide to take group around after we were told someone will show us around. The manager who took us around when our guide didn't show knew lots of the history and told lots of interesting facts and stories...being the manager he was however often on his phone and left us idling around before continuing with the tour. The flags of all the different managers/governors if the Cape colony or previous governments of RSA isn't flown on the walls any more and the top of the walls also show signs of preventable decay. The Castle of Good Hope seems now to be a castle of despair. Lots of opportunities to use this historical site optimally in our tourism and eduational sector are lost and in decay.
Old castle with a painful history of enslavement and war - this is a good start to understand the colonial history of Cape Town and its stories. A lot of it has been restored over time but it still has the ominous feel of an old building that has survived for centuries. They close by 4pm in the evening (at least entry does) so go early if you want to explore it properly.
I can only give the Castle of Good Hope 3 stars overall. For the history itself, I would easily give it 5 stars. The history and atmosphere are incredible, and if you love historical places, it is definitely worth visiting. However, some areas need better maintenance. There is a window missing, and certain historical sections, like the Dolphin Pond, are dirty and not properly looked after. That being said, the museum itself is clean, well-kept, and still a very interesting experience overall. Definitely worth a visit if you are passionate about history.
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