A prime location for Cape Town’s history, the Grand Parade is where the Dutch built their first fort in 1652; where slaves were sold and punished; and where crowds gathered to watch Nelson Mandela’s first address to the nation as a free man after 27 years in jail, made from the balcony of the Old Town Hall. A market is held on part of the square, which is also used for parking.

　　Facing the parade is the grand Edwardian Cape Town City Hall, now used occasionally for music and cultural events. Nearby Drill Hall, dating from 1889 and where Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 21st birthday, has been sensitively restored and turned into the city’s Central Library.