Location Guide: Cape Town

Underpinned by hope and defined by courage, Cape Town’s place is at the heart of social upheaval and as the home of freedom, it is one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world.

Stunning beaches and spectacular mountain ranges envelop Cape Town with beauty, and with a unique pace to life, it’s easy to understand why it’s one of the most spectacular cities in Formula E.

This weekend, it will host motorsport’s most unpredictable category to bring World Championship racing action back to South Africa for the first time since 2010.

When Formula E arrives, the streets of Cape Town’s Green Point district, near the ‘City Bowl’, will transform from road to racetrack, and this central area makes for a natural starting point when visiting.

Stretching from Table Bay and marked by the two-mile plateau of Table Mountain, City Bowl is Cape Town’s most central point, and has been at the epicentre of change through the ages.

The Castle of Good Hope, which was built in the 17th century, is the oldest existing building in South Africa and is the centre point from which Cape Town grew when it was established in 1652 as an outpost to resupply European ships travelling to Asia.

Known locally as ‘The Castle’, this imposing fortress opens a window to Cape Town’s wide-ranging 370-year history and is a deserving first stop in this city of curiosity.

The nearby Company’s Garden is the oldest garden in all of South Africa and allows visitors to retreat in a peaceful and tranquil green space, lined by luscious foliage.

The garden was first cultivated in the 1600s to provide fresh produce to passing ships, but now houses the Parliament Building, National Library and the South African Museum and Planetarium, which showcases everything from pre-colonial rock art to wildlife.

Of all of Cape Town’s museums and galleries, however, the District Six Museum should be on everyone’s agenda, and is only 400 metres east of the Company’s Garden.

The museum and cultural center empowers the oppressed by telling the story of District Six – a vibrant community that was strengthened by diversity but divided under Apartheid.

After District Six was declared as a ‘white area’, its 60,000 non-white residents were forcibly removed from Cape Town under the regime. Their homes were subsequently destroyed.

Now, 41 years on, their voices have been brought to life in the District Six Museum which memorialises their movement and tells their story.

Bo-Kaap, located on the slopes of Signal Hill, is one of the few surviving residential areas that was once racially-segregated, and should be the next stop after heading to District Six.

The area is acclaimed for its bright, pastel-coloured buildings which offer a taste of Cape-Malay culture, and fundamentally serve as a reminder as to why post-Apartheid South Africa is known as The Rainbow Nation.

This spark of political change can be traced to Robben Island, which can be visited from the Victoria and Albert Waterfront.

As one of the most famous prisons in the world, it was on Robben Island that Nelson Mandela was incarcerated in 1964 after opposing Apartheid and from where, for 18 years, he looked from his cell, dreaming of change.

From the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens to the top of Table Mountain, Cape Town owns an undertone of transformation, underscored by progress, and powered by fearlessness.

A visit to Cape Town will leave a lasting impression, and as the very symbol of hope, the city belongs to the people.