CAPE TOWN: Facts You Didn’t Ask For.

Cape Town—South Africa’s Mother City—is mode much than epic views, towering mountains, and irresistibly acold h2o (yes, it’s freezing, but we’re obsessed). Ranked among the champion cities successful the world and pulling tourists each twelvemonth circular (seriously, each play is tourer play successful Cape Town), this city’s past runs deep. It’s a spot wherever oppression gave mode to reconciliation, wherever prisons became museums, and wherever full neighbourhoods burst into colour arsenic a awesome of freedom. Oh, and let’s not hide the world-famous flat-topped upland that conscionable refuses to beryllium pointy!

Jan van Riebeeck, South Africa’s archetypal Dutch settler, didn’t precisely onshore successful Cape Town to commencement the adjacent large thing. Nope, the metropolis began arsenic a pit halt – a benignant of drive-thru (or “garage” arsenic South Africans would telephone it) for ships heading to India. At first, it had the ace charming sanction of “Cape of Storms” due to the fact that the Atlantic Ocean wasn’t precisely rolling retired the invited mat. The archetypal voyager to the Cape, Bartholomeu Dias and his unit of voyagers got tossed astir truthful overmuch that they astir mislaid anticipation successful establishing the route. But erstwhile the unsmooth seas were down them and they caught show of the lush onshore and those jaw-dropping mountains, the temper changed. Suddenly, it was each astir anticipation and peace, truthful they rebranded it to the Cape of Good Hope.

Here are immoderate amazingly absorbing answers astir Cape Town’s apical attractions – guaranteed to astonishment adjacent the locals!

Why is Table Mountain flat?

If you thought Table Mountain was conscionable different glorified hill, deliberation again. This upland towers implicit the metropolis astatine 3,558 feet, flaunts a perfectly level apical and adjacent rocks a “tablecloth” connected cloudy days (because wherefore not deterioration clouds similar a fancy drape?). Fun fact: what we present telephone the apical of Table Mountain was erstwhile a seabed, submerged nether the waves. Over 450 cardinal years ago, tectonic movements decided to assistance it up, and erosion took over, carving retired its iconic level shape. The upland utilized to beryllium taller, but wind, water, and crystal chipped distant astatine the softer rocks, leaving down the coagulated sandstone you spot today. A existent explanation of “started from the bottom, present we’re here”. So, wherefore is Table Mountain flat? Millions of years of erosion. Cool, right? Now you know. 

The Khoisan, the indigenous radical of the Cape, whitethorn not person had a geology lesson, but they definite nailed it with the sanction “Huriǂoaxa” (pronounced Hoerikwaggo), meaning “the sea-emerging mountain.” They were onto something!

Why are determination colourful houses successful Cape Town?

Built earlier Instagram aesthetics became a thing, the Bo-Kaap houses are truthful overmuch much than a stunning backdrop of mesmerising colour. They are built with tear-stained blocks of past and resilience that turned the mean into vivid hues of freedom. Once a segregated area, Bo-Kaap became location to the escaped descendants of Cape Malay slaves. Originally, the houses were painted plain white, but successful a bold look of newfound freedom, residents picked up their brushes and painted the town, rather literally. As brushwood bristles kissed factual walls, a ocular practice of Mandela’s rainbow federation was birthed.

Beyond the vivid colours, Bo-Kaap holds its spot successful past arsenic 1 of South Africa’s oldest neighbourhoods, boasting the Auwal Mosque, built successful 1794, the oldest successful the country. Even the Bo-Kaap Museum, housed successful a gathering dating backmost to the 1760s, stands arsenic 1 of South Africa’s oldest surviving structures. So, visiting Bo-Kaap isn’t conscionable astir admiring a colour palette travel to beingness – it’s astir diving into a affluent tapestry of culture, history, and freedom. 

What is the past of the Noon Gun?

One of Cape Town’s oldest – and loudest – traditions is the celebrated noon gun, a blast older than the Eiffel Tower and Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. These achromatic pulverization Dutch naval cannons, archetypal fired successful 1806, were primitively utilized arsenic a clip awesome for ships anchored connected the bay, helping them recalibrate their maritime chronometers. They besides aided successful the city’s defence system, warding disconnected imaginable navy attacks. While they nary longer assistance with navigation, they inactive battalion a punch astatine noon, sending a thunderous roar crossed the metropolis each day, but Sundays and nationalist holidays, of course! We wouldn’t privation to ruin your well-deserved sleep-in connected your time off.

Initially stationed astatine the Castle of Good Hope, South Africa’s oldest surviving building, these cannons present beryllium proudly connected Signal Hill. Talk astir a transformation, what started arsenic instruments of warfare person go peaceful timekeepers, marking noon peacefully and ceremonially. Here’s a amusive tidbit: fable has it that the lone clip the weapon fired earlier noon was successful June 1895, erstwhile an unwitting 8-legged intruder, a spider, acceptable it off. While different countries, similar Canada, person akin traditions, Cape Town’s noon weapon is recognised arsenic the archetypal of its kind, impervious that adjacent the loudest bang tin person a peaceful purpose! 

When was Robben Island built?

Just 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) disconnected Cape Town’s westbound seashore lies Robben Island, a spot that’s go world-famous but carries a alternatively infamous backstory. This wasn’t ever South Africa’s hottest maximum information prison; successful fact, since the 17th century, it’s served arsenic a go-to determination for banishment and seclusion agelong earlier it became a awesome of apartheid-era incarceration. So, don’t conscionable expect dim-lit cells; the land has worn galore hats implicit the years, from leper colony to intelligence asylum and adjacent a WWII subject base.

The situation itself was built successful the 1960s, designed to clasp governmental prisoners deemed excessively unsafe for the apartheid government. The sanction “Robben Island” comes from the Dutch connection for seals; because, judge it oregon not, those cute-eyed creatures were erstwhile the main attraction successful the surrounding waters. 

While it’s famously known arsenic the spot wherever Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years successful prison, helium wasn’t the lone 1 to acquisition the island’s ‘hospitality’. Other governmental prisoners, similar Robert Sobukwe and erstwhile presidents Kgalema Motlanthe and Jacob Zuma, besides had their just stock of Robben Island woes. 

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site successful 1999, the land present operates arsenic a museum, showcasing its affluent and analyzable past arsenic a awesome of resilience and the conflict against segregation. So, erstwhile you visit, remember: it’s not conscionable a prison; it’s a monument to the combat for freedom, with a fewer unexpected twists on the way!

How agelong is Long Street?

Picture this: an detonation of 17th-century charm crashes into the vibrant activism of the 1980s, and voilà, Long Street emerges. With an eclectic bohemian vibe and Victorian buildings to match, this 3 km thoroughfare has claimed fame worldwide arsenic being the enactment epicentre of Cape Town. But beyond the disco lights and amapiano dances, the thoroughfare has heavy sonic waves of past revealing its past arsenic a hub of economical activity, a melting cookware of diverseness that defiantly resisted oppressive governance and the thoroughfare starring up to the top upland connected the confederate extremity of Africa. Decorated with upbeat nightclubs, creation galleries, restaurants, theatres, cute java shops and souvenir stands this thoroughfare offers a assortment of activities immoderate clip of time oregon night.

Originally constructed successful the 17th period arsenic a convenient way connecting the metropolis centre to the surrounding villages, Long Street rapidly became a bustling artery of concern and residence. As Cape Town grew and attracted much visitors, the diverseness connected Long Street blossomed. 

Known for its substance of cultures, 1 would person thought the emergence of the apartheid authorities would deter the Long Street assemblage but defying the powers that be, the thoroughfare remained mixed and inclusive till the unit of the authorities could nary longer beryllium ignored. Although adhering to the laws astatine look value, the absorption was inactive precise overmuch live connected this street. It became a spot for governmental gatherings and done creator look radical protested the ruling authorities of the time. Several plays and euphony would person themes that opposed the authorities and day-to-day radical inactive recovered a mode to marque humanity triumph implicit hate. 

There is beingness successful the Victorian walls of Long Street that echoes beyond the nightlife for which the thoroughfare is known

What is the Castle of Good Hope?

Designed aft the 5-point prima fort style, Europe’s go-to fortress plan of the 17th century; the Castle of Good Hope is the oldest surviving gathering successful South Africa and rather the humanities heavyweight. Construction kicked disconnected successful 1666 and wrapped up successful 1679, nether the committee of the Dutch East India Company, this was a reconstruction from the smaller operation built by Jan Van Riebeeck a fewer years earlier. This awesome operation was built to fend disconnected immoderate would-be invaders, and somehow, 345 years later, it’s inactive lasting gangly and proud. 

Holding secrets darker than its chromatic walls, it was erstwhile the legislative hub of assemblage rule, it housed enslaved dungeons and served arsenic a backdrop for the imprisonment and torture of indigenous tribes (talk astir a grim past). Being the judicial centre of Cape Town, it became  a hotbed of play arsenic Dutch and English settlers clashed for its control. After a batch of backmost and forths, the English won it aft the conflict of Blaauwberg successful 1806. 

Now, the castle has traded its subject past for depository status, serving arsenic a monument to the country’s tumultuous past and the victories that followed. Walking done its 300-year-old walls is some humbling and awe-inspiring, a reminder of however acold the state has travel successful the quest for peace, each portion marvelling astatine immoderate earnestly awesome architecture! Just beryllium cautious not to bump into immoderate ghosts of assemblage governors oregon enslaved people. They mightiness person a fewer things to accidental astir the full ‘peace and harmony’ thing. Just kidding, Ghosts are not real.

It’s much than conscionable views!

Cape Town is simply a perfectly mixed cocktail of enthralling views and humbling history. As the South African nationalist anthem eloquently puts it, ‘From our bluish heavens to the depths of our oversea implicit our everlasting mountains’, the metropolis is simply a mashup of stories that shriek “We survived!”. Which you volition beryllium shouting erstwhile you hike up Table Mountain with these hot question deals. Just marque definite you haven’t been skipping your limb time earlier you effort the summit. If you are looking for a culturally affluent acquisition with cleanable views positive a dash of endless activities, past Cape Town is the metropolis for you.

The station CAPE TOWN: Facts You Didn’t Ask For. appeared archetypal connected Travelstart Blog.