Cape Town launches Military Heritage Route

Three landmark buildings recall Cape Town's military past.

Cape Town tourism authorities have launched the Military Heritage Route, a self-drive trail

that incorporates much of Cape Town’s military past and can be explored within three hours.

The route comprises three venues: the Castle of Good Hope, the South African Naval Museum and the Chavonnes Battery Museum. The itinerary is wheelchair-friendly and should be expanded further in the future.

The Castle of Good Hope was built in 1666 and is the oldest surviving building in South Africa. A reminder of Cape Town's colonial past, the building is currently undergoing renovation, for the first time in 20 years.

The South African Naval Museum pays homage to the country’s naval history as well as illustrating modern naval operations with models of submarines, guns and torpedoes.

Built in 1724, the Chavonnes Battery Museum highlights the archaeological ruins of a Dutch East India Company fort, buried for 140 years, and also hosts regular photographic exhibitions.

For full details of the Military Heritage Route see website.