Castle of Good Hope

Opening Times

The Castle is open daily from 9am to 4pm and the Key Ceremony takes place on weekdays at 10:00 and 12:00.

Constructed between 1666 and 1679, the Castle of Good Hope is the oldest building in South Africa and, partly due to being declared a National Monument in 1936, it has been exceptionally well preserved. Inside the walls of the pentagonal castle you will find a combination of cultural and military history dating back to the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck to the Cape in 1652. The castle is home to the Castle Military Museum depicting the military history of the Cape as well as the William Fehr collection of artworks. In addition the castle houses a church, a bakery, workshops, offices and cells and guided tours introduce the visitor to the dungeons, the dolphin pool and the blacksmith.