Historical Houses Walking Tour (Self Guided), Cape Town

When Jan van Riebeeck arrived in Cape Town in 1652, his mission was to establish here a supply station for the ships of the Dutch East India Company sailing to East Africa, India, and the Far East. The oldest buildings in today's Cape Town, dating from the second half of the 17th century, are the remnants of that era.

Garden House, originally a shabby tool shed owned by the Dutch East India Company, was converted into a two-story residence to lodge a new governor appointed in 1679. Later additions to the building gave it the Neo-classical appearance seen today.

That same year, the Dutch East India Company built the Slave Lodge to house slaves imported from South-East Asia and Africa amid a labor shortage in the then Dutch colony. Needless to say that, back in the day, the lodge was a rather unsanitary and cramped place.

The walls of Cape Town's old buildings have witnessed much over the last four centuries. If you wish to immerse yourself in the history of the city and hear some of the tales its ancient houses have to tell, take our self-guided walking tour.