Castle Entrance Gate

Cape Town


The main entrance to the Castle of Good Hope, crowned by a bell tower, replaced the original sea-facing entrance to the fortress.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cape Town attractions

1. Castle of Good Hope

0.06 MILES

Built by the Dutch between 1666 and 1679 to defend Cape Town, this stone-walled pentagonal castle remains the headquarters for the Western Cape military…

2. Grand Parade

0.08 MILES

A prime location for Cape Town’s history, the Grand Parade is where the Dutch built their first fort in 1652; where slaves were sold and punished; and…

3. William Fehr Collection

0.09 MILES

Housed within the former Governor's Quarters at the Castle of Good Hope is the bulk of the William Fehr Collection, including some fabulous bits of Cape…

4. Castle Military Museum

0.09 MILES

This interesting museum occupies the castle’s original bayside entrance. Inside you can see examples and vivid paintings of different military uniforms…

5. Secunde's House

0.11 MILES

Inside the Castle of Good Hope, the Secunde's House was built in 1695 and housed the second in command at the Cape.

6. Central Library

0.11 MILES

The Drill Hall, dating from 1889 and where Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 21st birthday, has been sensitively restored and turned into the city’s…

7. We Are Still Here

0.13 MILES

Mosaic artists Lovell Friedman and Leora Lewis are the creators of this powerful artwork just outside the Central Library. A mosaic of ceramic tiles forms…

8. Nelson Mandela Statue

0.13 MILES

On 11 February 1990, Nelson Mandela gave his first speech as a free man from the balcony at Cape Town City Hall. To celebrate the centenary of his birth,…