Things to do in Swakopmund
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Napolitana
This quaint and romantic Italian bistro specialises in gourmet pizzas and pasta, as well as heartier meat and seafood dishes. If you're feeling lazy, ring them up and they'll deliver right to your door.
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Swakopmund Brauhaus
This excellent restaurant and boutique brewery offers one of Swakopmund's most sought-after commodities (traditional German-style beer) as well as excellently prepared beef and seafood.
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Lighthouse Pub & Cafe
With a view of the beach and crashing surf, the Lighthouse Pub & Cafe is an atmospheric choice that serves up good-value seafood including kabeljou, calamari, kingklip and lobster.
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Desert Explorers Adventure Centre
After aspiring for years to become a dry version of Victoria Falls, Swakopmund is one of the top destinations in Southern Africa for extreme sports enthusiasts. Although filling your days with adrenaline-soaked activities is certainly not cheap, there are few places in the world where you can climb up, race down and soar over towering sand dunes.
Your one-stop booking agent for just about every breathtaking activity you'd like to pursue is the Desert Explorers Adventure Centre . Here you can organise sandboarding, ecologically sensitive quadbiking, tandem skydiving, dolphin cruising, deep-sea fishing, hot-air ballooning, dune parasailing, descending on the flying-fox…
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Woermannhaus
From the shore, the delightful German-style Woermannhaus stands out above surrounding buildings - you'd be forgiven for assuming it's the town hall. In fact, it was designed by Friedrich Höft, and built in 1905 as the main offices of the Damara & Namaqua Trading Company. In 1909 however, it was taken over by the Woermann & Brock Trading Company, which supplied the current name. In the 1920s, it was used as a school dormitory, and later served as a merchant sailors' hostel.
It eventually fell into disrepair, but was declared a national monument and restored in 1976. For years, the prominent Damara tower (formerly a water tower) of the Woermannhaus provided a landmark for…
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Swakopmund Museum
When ill winds blow, head for the Swakopmund Museum , at the foot of the lighthouse, where you can hole up and learn about the town history. The museum occupies the site of the old harbour warehouse, which was destroyed in 1914 by a 'lucky' shot from a British warship.
Displays include exhibits on Namibia's history and ethnology, including information on local flora and fauna. Especially good is the display on the !nara melon, a fruit which was vital to the early Khoikhoi people of the Namib region. It also harbours a reconstructed colonial home interior, Emil Kiewittand's apothecary shop and an informative display on the Rössing Mine. Military buffs will appreciate the…
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Jetty
In 1905, the need for a good cargo- and passenger-landing site led Swakopmund's founders to construct the original wooden pier. Over the years, however, it was battered by the high seas and damaged by woodworm, and in 1911, construction began on a 500m iron jetty .
When the South African forces occupied Swakopmund, the port became redundant (they already controlled Walvis Bay), so the old wooden pier was removed in 1916 and the unfinished iron pier was left to the elements. In 1985 it was closed for safety purposes, but a year later, a public appeal raised 250,000 rand to restore the structure. It's now open to the general public, but unfortunately once again suffering…
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The Mole
In 1899, architect FW Ortloff's sea wall - better known as the Mole - was intended to enhance Swakopmund's poor harbour and create a mooring place for large cargo vessels. Unfortunately, Mr Ortloff was unfamiliar with the Benguela Current, which sweeps northwards along the coast, carrying with it a load of sand from the southern deserts.
Within less than five years, the harbour entrance was choked off by a sand bank and two years later, the harbour itself had been invaded by sand to create what is now called Palm Beach. The Mole is currently used as a mooring for pleasure boats.
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Prinzessin Rupprecht Heim
Swakopmund brims with numerous historic examples of traditional German architecture. The single-storey Prinzessin Rupprecht Heim was constructed in 1902, and was first used as a military hospital. In 1914 it was transferred to the Bavarian Women's Red Cross, which named it after its patron, Princess Rupprecht, wife of the Bavarian crown prince.
The idea was to expose convalescents to the healthy effects of the sea breeze. Until recently, one wing was still used as a maternity ward (the tourist literature claims it was closed due to a storks' strike).
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Alte Gefängnis
Swakopmund brims with numerous historic examples of traditional German architecture. The impressive 1909 Alte Gefängnis was designed by architect Heinrich Bause, and if you didn't know it was a prison, you'd swear it was either an early East German train station or a health-spa hotel.
In fact, the main building was used only for staff housing while the prisoners were relegated to less opulent quarters on one side. Note that it still serves as a prison and is considered a sensitive structure, so photography is not permitted.
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Altes Amtsgericht
Swakopmund brims with numerous historic examples of traditional German architecture. Designed by Otto Ertl, the gabled Altes Amtsgericht building was constructed in 1908 as a private school. However, when the funds ran out, the government took over the project and requisitioned it as a magistrates' court.
In the 1960s it functioned as a school dormitory, and now houses municipal offices. Just so no-one can doubt its identity, the words 'Altes Amtsgericht' (German for 'Old Magistrates' Court') are painted across the front.
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Bahnhof
Swakopmund brims with numerous historic examples of traditional German architecture. The ornate railway station, or Bahnhof, built in 1901 as the terminal for the Kaiserliche Eisenbahn Verwaltung (Imperial Railway Authority), connected Swakopmund with Windhoek.
In 1910, when the railway closed down, the building assumed the role as main station for the narrow-gauge mine railway between Swakopmund and Otavi. It was declared a national monument in 1972 and now houses the Swakopmund Hotel & Entertainment Centre.
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Kaiserliches Bezirksgericht
Swakopmund brims with numerous historic examples of traditional German architecture. The impressive Kaiserliches Bezirksgericht was constructed in 1902 to serve as the district magistrates' court. It was extended in 1905 and again in 1945, when a tower was added. After WWI it was converted into the official holiday home of the territorial administrator. In keeping with that tradition, it's now the official Swakopmund residence of the executive president.
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Marine Memorial
Often known by its German name, Marine Denkmal, the Marine Memorial was commissioned in 1907 by the Marine Infantry in Kiel, Germany, and was designed by Berlin sculptor AM Wolff. It commemorates the German First Marine Expedition Corps, which helped beat back the Herero uprisings of 1904. As a national historical monument, it will continue to stand, but one has to wonder how long it will be before the Herero erect a memorial of their own.
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National Marine Aquarium
The waterfront National Marine Aquarium provides an excellent introduction to the cold offshore world in the South Atlantic. Most impressive is the tunnel through the largest aquarium, which allows close-up views of graceful rays, toothy sharks (you can literally count all the teeth!) and other little marine beasties found on Namibia's seafood platters. The fish are fed daily at 15:00, which makes an interesting spectacle.
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Cafe Anton
This somewhat pretentious spot, located in Hotel Schweizerhaus, serves up superb coffee, apfelstrüdel (apple strudel), kugelhopf (cake with nuts and raisins), mohnkuchen (poppy seed cake), linzertorte (cake flavoured with almond meal, lemon and spices, and spread with jam) and other European delights. The outdoor seating is inviting for afternoon snacks in the sun.
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Dune Fields
A fascinating short hike will take you across the Swakop River to the large dune fields south of town. The dune formations and unique vegetation are great for exploring and with a dune cart or a sheet of masonite, you can spend hours sledding down the slopes. The Alternative Space (budget accommodation) loans dune carts to its guests, and several tour companies offer sandboarding and quadbiking.
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Out of Africa Coffee Shop
This place has the motto 'Life is too short to drink bad coffee', and it does something about it! It welcomes you in the morning with Namibia's best coffee - espresso, cappuccino, latte and other specialities - served up in French-style cups, along with memorable breakfasts and delicious muffins. At lunchtime and in the afternoon, it serves light meals, snacks and more coffee.
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Hohenzollern Building
Swakopmund brims with numerous historic examples of traditional German architecture. The imposing baroque-style Hohenzollern Building was constructed in 1906 to serve as a hotel. Its rather outlandish décor is crowned by a fibreglass cast of Atlas supporting the world, which replaced the precarious cement version that graced the roof prior to renovations in 1988.
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African Cemetery
It's worth having a quick wander past the historical cemeteries beside the Swakop River. The neatly manicured Old German Cemetery dates from the colonial era, and the tombstones, which are still maintained by resident families, tell countless stories. The adjoining African cemetery makes an equally intriguing cultural statement, and has plenty of stories of its own.
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Old German Cemetery
It's worth having a quick wander past the historical cemeteries beside the Swakop River. The neatly manicured Old German Cemetery dates from the colonial era, and the tombstones, which are still maintained by resident families, tell countless stories. The adjoining African cemetery makes an equally intriguing cultural statement, and has plenty of stories of its own.
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Cape to Cairo Restaurant
The most popular tourist restaurant in Swakopmund serves up a gourmet variety of dishes from across the continent. Their game meats are exceptional, though vegetarians will have no problem feasting here on hearty chapatis and other veggie treats. The wine-list here is extensive, and the clientele is usually overlanders from the attached Grüner Kranz hotel.
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Swakopmund Military Museum
For years, the prominent Damara tower (formerly a water tower) of the Woermannhaus provided a landmark for ships at sea as well as for traders arriving by ox wagon from the interior. It now affords a splendid panorama, and houses the Swakopmund Military Museum and a gallery of historic paintings. You can pay the admission and pick up a key at the library.
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Kristall Galerie
The architecturally astute Kristall Galerie features some of the planet's most incredible crystal formations, including the largest quartz crystal that has ever been found. The adjacent shop sells lovely mineral samples, crystal jewellery, and intriguing plates, cups and wine glasses that are carved from the local stone.
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Peter's Antiques
This place is an Ali Baba's cave of treasures, specialising in colonial relics, historic literature, West African art, politically incorrect German paraphernalia and genuine West African fetishes and other artefacts from around the continent. It's a place that travellers love to hate, but many succumb to its wonders.
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