Constitution Hill

Lonely Planet review

Inspiring, impressive Constitution Hill is slowly becoming one of the city's - if not the country's - chief tourist attractions. Built within the ramparts of the Old Fort, which dates from 1892 and was once a notorious prison, the development focuses on South Africa's new Constitutional Court. Ruling on constitutional and human-rights matters, the court itself is a very real symbol of the changing South Africa.

A lekgotla (place of gathering) rising from the ashes of one of the city's most poignant apartheid-system monuments, the court hears cases in all 11 official languages.

The modern structure incorporates sections of the old prison walls, plus large windows that allow visitors to watch proceedings. Not unlike the symbolism of Sir Norman Foster's glass Reichstag dome in Berlin, it underlines the sense of transparency at the heart of the country's political ethos.

As well as gaining access to the court, visitors will also be able to take tours of the Old Fort's various sections, including the Awaiting Trial Block, which held the 156 treason triallists - led by Nelson Mandela - of 1956; the notorious Number Four section, which held black male prisoners; and the Women's Gaol, where female offenders (their offence was often simply failing to produce an identity card) were incarcerated. In addition to seeing the court, it's also possible to tour parts of the Old Fort, including the Awaiting Trial Block, which held the 156 treason trialists - led by Nelson Mandela - of 1956.