Sights in Windhoek
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Katutura
Unlike its South African counterparts, the township of Katutura is relatively safe by day if you stick to the northern areas and/or find a local who can act as a guide. An especially interesting spot is the informal Soweto Market, where traders sell just about anything imaginable. A shared taxi from the Wernhill Park Centre to Katutura costs around US$1 per person.
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Daan Viljoen Game Park
The beautiful Daan Viljoen Game Park sits in the Khomas Hochland about 18km west of Windhoek. Because there are no seriously dangerous animals, you can walk to your heart's content through lovely wildlife-rich desert hills, and spot gemsboks, kudus, mountain zebras, springboks, hartebeests, warthogs and elands.
Daan Viljoen is also known for its birdlife, and over 200 species have been recorded, including the rare green-backed heron and pin-tailed whydah - if you're serious about birding, the park office sells a handy identification booklet. Daan Viljoen's hills are covered with open thorn-scrub vegetation that allows excellent wildlife viewing, and three walking tracks h…
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Tintenpalast
The road east from Alte Feste leads to the Tintenpalast, now the parliament building, which was designed by Gottlieb Redecker and built in 1913 as the administrative headquarters for German South-West Africa. The name means 'Ink Palace', in honour of all the ink spent on the typically excessive government paperwork it generated. It has also served as the nerve centre for all subsequent governments, including the present one.
The building is remarkable mainly for its construction from indigenous materials. The surrounding gardens were laid out in the 1930s, and include an olive grove and a bowling green. In front, have a look at Namibia's first post-independence monument, …
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Zoo Park
The centrepiece of Zoo Park, a former zoo turned park, is a column designed by Namibian sculptor Dörthe Berner, which commemorates a Stone Age elephant hunt that occurred here some 5000 years ago. In 1962 the remains of two elephants and several quartz tools used to cut up the carcasses were unearthed. The fossils and tools were displayed in situ under glass, but in 1990 they were transferred to the State Museum.
The rather anachronistic Kriegerdenkmal (War Memorial), topped by a golden imperial eagle, was dedicated in 1987 to the memory of the Schutztruppe soldiers who died fighting the troops of Nama leader Hendrik Witbooi in the Nama wars of 1893-94.
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Turnhalle
Built by Otto Busch in 1909, the Turnhalle was originally the practice hall for the Windhoek Gymnastic Club. In 1975 it was modernised and turned into a conference hall, and on 1 September of that year, it was the venue for the first Constitutional Conference on Independence for South West Africa, which subsequently - and more conveniently - came to be called the Turnhalle Conference. During the 1980s it hosted several political summits and debates on the way to Namibian independence.
It's now the site of meetings of the National Council.
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Christuskirche
Windhoek's best-recognised landmark, the German Lutheran Christuskirche, stands on a traffic island at the top of Fidel Castro St. This unusual building, which was constructed from local sandstone, was designed by architect Gottlieb Redecker in conflicting neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau styles. The altarpiece, the Resurrection of Lazarus, is a copy of the renowned work by Rubens. The cornerstone was laid in 1907.
To view the interior, pick up the key during business hours from the nearby church office on Fidel Castro St.
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Gathemann's Complex
The three colonial-era buildings of Gathemann's Complex were all designed by German architect Willi Sander. The southernmost was built in 1902 as the Kronprinz Hotel, though it was bought in 1920 by Heinrich Gathemann and converted into a private business to adjoin Gathemann House next door, which he had built in 1913. The northernmost of the three is the Erkrath Building, which dates from 1910 and originally served as a private home and business.
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Werth Lookout
There is a broad view over the city centre from the Werth Lookout. Just below, near the end of upper Bahnhof St, are Villa Migliarina and Villa Lanvers (Werth St). These private homes, which are closed to the public, were designed in 1907 by Otto Busch. A cylindrical tower on the Lanvers house lends it a castlelike appearance. Both homes are surrounded by lovely gardens, which are visible from the street but closed to the public.
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Kaiserliche Realschule
Kaiserliche Realschule, Windhoek's first German primary school, opened in 1909 with 74 students, but over the next few years enrolment increased and the building had to be enlarged. The curious turret with wooden slats, which was part of the original building, was designed to provide ventilation. The building later housed Windhoek's first German high school, and after WWII, served as an English middle school.
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Namibia Breweries
Formerly the home of Windhoek Lager, the old South-West Brewery building on the corner of Tal and Garten Sts was where the company used to produce Namibia's favourite liquid. The brewing operation changed its name to Namibia Breweries and moved to the Northern Industrial Area. Worthwhile tours of the modern brewery are made by appointment on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
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National Museum of Namibia
Alte Feste, Windhoek's oldest surviving building, dates from 1890-92, and originally served as the headquarters of the Schutztruppe, which arrived in 1889 under the command of Major Curt von François. Today it houses the historical section of the National Museum of Namibia, which contains memorabilia and photos from the colonial period as well as indigenous artefacts.
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Train Station
Windhoek's beautiful old Cape Dutch-style train station dates from 1912, and was expanded in 1929 by the South African administration. Across the driveway from the entrance is the German steam locomotive Poor Old Joe, which was shipped to Swakopmund in 1899, and reassembled for the run to Windhoek. Upstairs is the small but worthwhile Trans-Namib Transport Museum.
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Old Magistrates' Court
Although the Old Magistrates' Court was constructed in 1898 as quarters for Carl Ludwig, the state architect, it was never occupied, and was eventually drafted into service as the magistrates' court. The veranda on the south side provided a shady sitting area for people waiting for their cases to be called. The building now houses the Namibia Conservatorium.
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Ludwig von Estorff House
Built in 1891, the Ludwig von Estorff House was originally a mess for military engineers, and was named after the former Schutztruppe commander who lived there between campaigns from 1902 to 1910. It has also served as a residence for senior military officers, a hostel and a trade school, and now houses the Estorff Reference Library.
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State House
The site of the State House was once graced by the residence of the German colonial governor, but that was razed in 1958 and replaced by the present building, which became the home of the South African administrator until Independence. Today however, it serves as the official residence of the Namibian president.
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Owambo Campaign Memorial
The Owambo Campaign Memorial at the entry to the station parking area was erected in 1919 to commemorate the 1917 British and South African campaign against the resistant chief Mandume, of the Kwanyama Owambo. When he ran out of firepower, the chief committed suicide rather than surrender.
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Officers' House
The Officers' House was built in 1906 by the works division of the colonial administration to provide accommodation for senior officers. It's closed to the public, but you can visit the outbuildings, which include a six-horse stable and saddle room now used as garages.
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South-West Brewery Building
Formerly the home of Windhoek Lager, the old South-West Brewery building was where the company used to produce Namibia's favourite liquid. The building now houses the Warehouse Theatre, which is now a well-known nightspot, in addition to the Namibia Crafts Centre.
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Oode Voorpost
The Oode Voorpost is a classic 1902 building that originally held the colonial surveyors' offices. Early government maps were stored in a fireproof archive. It was restored in 1988, and now houses the Namibia Wildlife Resorts reservations office.
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Owela (State) Museum
The other half of the National Museum of Namibia, about 600m from the main building, is known as Owela (State) Museum. Exhibits focus on Namibia's natural and cultural history. Attached to the museum is the National Theatre of Namibia.
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Post Street Mall
The throbbing heart of the Windhoek shopping district is the bizarrely colourful Post Street Mall. It's lined with vendors selling curios, artwork, clothing and practically anything else that may be of interest to tourists.
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Meteorite Display
In the centre of the Post St Mall is a display of meteorites from the Gibeon meteor shower, which deposited upwards of 21 tonnes of mostly ferrous extraterrestrial boulders around Gibeon, in southern Namibia.
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Heinitzburg Castle
Uphill from Robert Mugabe Ave are the three Windhoek 'castles', including the 1914 Heinitzburg, which today houses a hotel and a fine restaurant. The other castles, Schwerinsburg and Sanderburg, are nearby.
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Trans-Namib Transport Museum
Upstairs in Windhoek's beautiful old Cape Dutch-style train station is the small but worthwhile Trans-Namib Transport Museum, which outlines Namibian transport history, particularly that of the railway.
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Independence Stadium
Major sporting events, including rugby, football, netball and track and field are held at Independence Stadium off the B1, about 2km south of town. See local papers for event announcements.
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