Cape Town might be one of the most beautiful cities in the world, famed for its golden-sand beaches, iconic mountain and fabulous foodie scene – but it’s also an ethnic melting pot that vibrates with a unique energy, frankly incomparable to any other on the continent. And the best bit? The city is home to a variety of attractions and heritage sites that will take you right to the heart of the culture of the people that live here and the country’s tumultuous history. If that sounds up your street, get your walking shoes ready and check out our favourite places for a spot of Cape Town culture…
Start your morning with a stroll through the historical Company’s Garden. The leafy oasis in the heart of the city hubbub started life in the 1650s as a vegetable garden to grow produce for the ships arriving in the Cape’s port. Today, there are less vegetables, more flowers and less sailors, more office workers enjoying their lunch breaks, but it’s a beautiful place for a stroll and a great first taste of Cape Town culture.
Next on the list in your day of Cape Town culture is the District Six museum on Buitenkant Street. Handily, it’s within walking distance of the gardens and even better, you’ll pass the Slave Lodge museum and the magnificent St George’s Cathedral, both worth a peek if you’re not in a hurry. Once at District Six, you can either wander around the museum, a dedicated space depicting the lives and memories of the tenants who were forcibly removed from the destroyed area, or take a walking tour of the site itself with an ex-resident. The museum is also home to a range of exhibitions from different artists, painters and sculptors that depict life in District Six and is humbling, inspiring and beautiful. You’ll spend longer here than you might imagine, but leave enough time for a quick stroll down to City Hall and the infamous balcony where Nelson Mandela made his first speech after his release from prison. A beautiful bronze statue now stands in the exact spot.
Let your nostrils guide you to your next destination: Bo-Kaap. The first thing that will strike you is the kaleidoscopic houses, home to a large Cape Muslim community and slaves who were freed after the abolition of slavery. The bright colours are thought to be an expression of freedom after a life of long-suppressed individualism (or because coloured paint was the cheapest!) and you’ll spot lipstick pink walls rubbing shoulders with lime green and acid yellow. And the smell? Bo-Kaapers are famous for their Cape Malay curries and at lunchtime, the delicious scents and spices waft down the hill and through town. Join a cooking class (Lekka Kombuis is run by the lovely Gamidah in her house on Wale Street) and learn how to make traditional samoosas, curries and breads, or pop into Biesmellah Restaurant for a feast, both for your eyes and your tastebuds!
After lunch, spend a bit of time wandering the cobbled streets (make sure to pass the oldest mosque in the Southern hemisphere) and then hail an Uber for the ride to Woodstock. The inner-city district is now home to all things chic and trendy and one of the best ways to get to grips with the area is on a Street Art Tour. Street art started in Cape Town in the 1980s. It was largely political and an expression against the injustices of Apartheid and oppressive laws, but today, much of the art in Woodstock is symbolic of anything from conservation and animal rights to the fight for freedom. Tours are usually led by Woodstock residents, so have your list of questions ready.
Street Art Tour experience coming to the site soon!
From street art to modern art, the Zeitz MOCAA is next on the list for your day of Cape Town culture. It may be new but the stunning gallery, housed in an old grain tower at the V&A harbour, has already become an iconic landmark in the city not least for its dramatic windows, gleaming like a spaceship in the night sky. Inside, explore eight-floors and over 100 galleries of contemporary art from all over the diaspora – and enjoy the views stretching all the way to Table Mountain and Lion’s Head.
If you’re lucky enough to be in Cape Town on the first Thursday of the month, then make sure you’re somewhere near the city centre come sunset. ‘First Thursdays’, when the quirky galleries and boutiques that hide in the cobbled streets stay open late, has become something of an institution. Our favourites include the Young Blood Gallery on Bree, a space for new and upcoming artists, and What If The World that specialises in exhibitions by emerging South African artists. Even if art isn’t your thing, pop along anyway as the atmosphere is electric – possibly fuelled by the late-night bar openings too!
If your timing isn’t quite so specific, end your day of Cape Town culture at the Artscape Theatre Centre at the Foreshore. Opened in 1971, it’s the oldest performing arts centre in Cape Town and attracts worldwide performances as well as home-grown (fantastic!) South African talent. From ballet to opera, theatre to dance, there’s something to tickle everyone’s fancy and tickets are a fraction of the price compared to the northern hemisphere. Book now, we say!
