Having survived constant struggles for power and control between the British and the Dutch, South Africa has many reminders of its past. Some of the most spectacular of those are the buildings that line its streets. This country has a truly ancient history, yet many are ignorant of it. For those looking to spend a vacation truly immersed in a fascinating culture, there couldn’t be a better place to start than South Africa’s legislative capital, Cape Town. This city has incredibly historic buildings dating right back to the 17th century and testaments to modern architecture that were built in just this past decade. If you’re looking for a whistle-stop tour of the buildings in Cape Town that you really must visit, then this is it.
Castle of Good Hope
One of the things that really makes this building stand out from the rest is its devotion to creating a casino experience like no other. Online instant payout casinos in South Africa are incredibly popular, thanks to their great deals for new members and huge catalog of games. The challenge when designing the gaming areas of the Grand West was to try to achieve a similar range of games for players, which is no mean feat. Whilst these online casinos can offer more competitive loyalty programs and super fast withdrawals using a variety of methods, the Grand West relies on its charm and heady atmosphere to stand out from the rest. In the battle of the bargain hunters, the online casino will win every time, but when it comes to Victorian elegance, we think the Grand West clinches it.
This voyage was usually undertaken by cargo ships passing from the Netherlands to Indonesia, or at the time, the Dutch East Indies. The route was known as a treacherous one, thanks to a perilously rocky coastline and unpredictable swells in the waves. To see the Castle of Good Hope was like a beacon of light for passing crews, the instant knowledge that they were on track to meet their destination and that they would be able to touch dry land, wash their clothes, and eat fresh food imminently.
The Grand West Casino
South Africa’s tourism industry contributes almost 10% of the country’s GDP, so it is a hugely important industry. The Sun Group is a huge entertainment industry that runs across the continent, but their largest building can be found in Cape Town. The Grand West Casino is the only casino in the whole of the city and the largest venue of its kind, full stop. If size matters to you, then this is a complex that should definitely be at the top of your list to visit.
Opened to celebrate the millennium, the Grand West offers a casino, two hotels, a concert hall, numerous restaurants, and the only ice rink in the Western Cape. Though it is enormous in scale, no expense was spared on the beauty of the design. The building is truly palatial, with a perfectly symmetrical design, steep slate roofs, towering turrets, and a lighting set-up that deserves recognition on its own. DSA Architects were the company that oversaw this late Victorian-style project and it has, understandably, become one of their most incredible projects to date.
One of the things that really makes this building stand out from the rest is its devotion to creating a casino experience like no other. Online instant payout casinos in South Africa are incredibly popular, thanks to their great deals for new members and huge catalog of games. The challenge when designing the gaming areas of the Grand West was to try to achieve a similar range of games for players, which is no mean feat. Whilst these online casinos can offer more competitive loyalty programs and super fast withdrawals using a variety of methods, the Grand West relies on its charm and heady atmosphere to stand out from the rest. In the battle of the bargain hunters, the online casino will win every time, but when it comes to Victorian elegance, we think the Grand West clinches it.
Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum
Whilst the previous two buildings have been incredibly grand, The Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum is a little smaller in scale. The building is situated in the Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town. This area is incredibly beautiful, with wonky cobbled streets, candy-coloured houses, and the unmistakable noise of the muezzin’s call to prayer. The area is an important part of cultural history as it is where Muslims and free slaves came after the abolition. What began as little more than a slum, grew to be a stunning reminder of the triumph of human strength over adversity.
The museum takes the form of one of the colorful houses of the Bo-Kaap. From the outside it is pretty. in a typical style for the area, but the real magic is on the inside. It is faithfully furnished in the style of a 19th-century house, just as a Muslim family might have used it. The rooms each have their own traditional function, kitchen, bedrooms, etc, and artifacts from the area’s history are on prominent display. Although it isn’t the grandest building in South Africa, it might be the one that truly helps us to connect with the city’s turbulent past.
