Swakopmund

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SWAKOPMUND, NAMIBIA - 2006/11/07: View at the Lighthouse and the colonial architecture courthouse of the Southwest African city. (Photo by Olaf Protze/LightRocket via Getty Images)

LightRocket via Getty Images

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Overview

Sandwiched between Atlantic rollers and the Namib Desert, Swakopmund is one of those great traveller way stations along the African road. At once Namibia's adventure capital and a surreal colonial remnant, part destination in its own right and part launch pad for an exploration of the Skeleton Coast and Namib Desert, this is a city with as much personality as it has sea frontage. Like Lüderitz on the south coast, with its half-timbered German architecture, seaside promenades and pervasive Gemütlichkeit (a distinctively German appreciation of comfort and hospitality), Swakopmund, especially out of season, can feel like a holiday town along Germany’s North Sea and Baltic coasts transplanted onto African soil. But the city is also thoroughly African and its multidimensional appeal means that most people end up staying longer than they planned.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Jetty

Swakopmund

In 1905 the need for a good cargo- and passenger-landing site led Swakopmund’s founders to construct the original wooden pier. In the years that followed,…

National Marine Aquarium

Swakopmund

This recently overhauled waterfront aquarium provides an excellent introduction to the cold offshore world in the South Atlantic Ocean. Most impressive is…

Bahnhof (Railway Station)

Swakopmund

This ornate railway station, built in 1901 as the terminal for the Kaiserliche Eisenbahn Verwaltung (Imperial Railway Authority), connected Swakopmund to…

Swakopmund Museum

Swakopmund

When ill winds blow, head for this museum at the foot of the lighthouse, where you can hole up and learn about the town's history. The museum occupies the…

Mole

Swakopmund

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…

Woermannhaus

Swakopmund

From the shore, the delightful German-style Woermannhaus stands out above surrounding buildings. Built in 1905 as the main offices of the Damara & Namaqua…

Altes Amtsgericht

Swakopmund

This gabled building, on the corner of Garnison and Bahnhof Sts, was constructed in 1908 as a private school. When the funds ran out, the government took…