Sandwich Harbour

Namibia

　　Sandwich Harbour, 56km south of Walvis Bay in Dorob National Park, is one of the most dramatic sights in Namibia – dunes up to 100m-high plunge into the Atlantic, which washes into the picturesque lagoon. The harbour is now deserted and a stirring wilderness devoid of any human settlement. Birdwatchers...

Deadvlei

Namibia

　　Although it's much less famous than its neighbour Sossusvlei, Deadvlei is actually the most alluring pan in the Namib-Naukluft National Park – it's arguably one of Southern Africa's greatest sights. Sprouting from the pan are seemingly petrified trees, with their parched limbs casting stark shadows across the baked, bleached-white canvas....

Cape Cross Seal Reserve

Namibia

　　The best-known breeding colony of Cape fur seals along the Namib coast is in this reserve, where the population has grown large and fat by taking advantage of the rich concentrations of fish in the cold Benguela Current. The sight of more than 100,000 seals basking on the beach and...

Sossusvlei

Namibia

　　Sossusvlei, a large ephemeral pan, is set amid red sand dunes that tower up to 325m above the valley floor. It rarely contains any water, but when the Tsauchab River has gathered enough volume and momentum to push beyond the thirsty plains to the sand sea, it’s completely transformed. The...

Lighthouse

South Coast

　　This is an important local landmark. ...

Old Post Office

South Coast

　　An attractive architectural landmark. ...

Lüderitz Museum

South Coast

　　This museum contains information on the town’s history, including displays on natural history, local indigenous groups and the diamond-mining industry. Phone to arrange a visit outside standard opening hours. ...

Goerke Haus

South Coast

　　The sheer scale of Goerke Haus and the way it blends into the rock face is very impressive. Originally the home of Lieutenant Hans Goerke, and designed by architect Otto Ertl and constructed in 1910 on Diamond Hill, it was one of the town’s most extravagant properties. The house has...

Felsenkirche

South Coast

　　The prominent Evangelical Lutheran church dominates Lüderitz from high on Diamond Hill. It was designed by Albert Bause, who implemented the Victorian influences he’d seen in the Cape. With assistance from private donors in Germany, construction of the church began in late 1911 and was completed the following year. The...

Marine Memorial

Swakopmund

　　Often known by its German name, Marine Denkmal, this memorial was commissioned in 1907 by the Marine Infantry in Kiel, Germany, and designed by sculptor AM Wolff. It commemorates the German First Marine Expedition Corps that helped beat back the Herero uprisings of 1904. As a national historical monument, it...

Moon Landscape

Swakopmund

　　If you're on a quest to see weltwitschias, continue east along the Weltwitschia Drive to the Moon Landscape, a vista across eroded hills and valleys carved by the Swakop River. Here you may want to take a quick 12km return side-trip north to the farm and oasis of Goanikontes, which...

Woermannhaus

Swakopmund

　　From the shore, the delightful German-style Woermannhaus stands out above surrounding buildings. Built in 1905 as the main offices of the Damara & Namaqua Trading Company, it was taken over four years later by the Woermann & Brock Trading Company, which supplied the current name. In the 1920s, it was...

Swakopmund Museum

Swakopmund

　　When ill winds blow, head for this museum at the foot of the lighthouse, where you can hole up and learn about the town's history. The museum occupies the site of the old harbour warehouse, which was destroyed in 1914 by a ‘lucky’ shot from a British warship. Displays include...

Bahnhof (Railway Station)

Swakopmund

　　This ornate railway station, built in 1901 as the terminal for the Kaiserliche Eisenbahn Verwaltung (Imperial Railway Authority), connected Swakopmund to Windhoek. In 1910, when the railway closed down, the building assumed the role as main station for the narrow-gauge mine railway between Swakopmund and Otavi. ...

Goanikontes

Swakopmund

　　If you're on a quest to see welwitschias, continue east along the Welwitschia Drive to the Moon Landscape, a vista across eroded hills and valleys carved by the Swakop River. Here you may want to take a quick 12km return side trip north to the farm and oasis of Goanikontes,...

National Marine Aquarium

Swakopmund

　　This recently overhauled waterfront aquarium provides an excellent introduction to the cold offshore world in the South Atlantic Ocean. Most impressive is the tunnel through the largest aquarium, which allows close-up views of graceful rays, toothy sharks (you can literally count the teeth!) and other little marine beasties. ...

Jetty

Swakopmund

　　In 1905 the need for a good cargo- and passenger-landing site led Swakopmund’s founders to construct the original wooden pier. In the years that followed, it was battered by the high seas and damaged by woodworm, and in 1911 construction began on a 500m iron jetty. When the South African...

Owela Museum

Windhoek

　　Part of the National Museum of Namibia, located about 600m from the main building, exhibits at the Owela Museum focus on Namibia’s natural and cultural history; note it may sometimes close early. ...

Heinitzburg Castle

Windhoek

　　Uphill from Robert Mugabe Ave are the three Windhoek 'castles', including the 1914 Heinitzburg, which today houses a hotel and fine restaurant. The other castles, Schwerinsburg and Sanderburg, are nearby. ...

Independence Memorial Museum

Windhoek

　　Opened in 2014, this museum is dedicated to the country's anticolonial and independence struggle. The first floor tells the story of Namibia under colonial rule, with the next floor up shifting gears to the resistance movement, while the top floor is dominated by the road to independence. Don't miss taking...

Trans-Namib Transport Museum

Windhoek

　　Windhoek’s beautiful old Cape Dutch–style train station on Bahnhof St was constructed by the Germans in 1912, and was expanded in 1929 by the South African administration. Across the driveway from the entrance is the German steam locomotive Poor Old Joe, which was shipped to Swakopmund in 1899 and reassembled...

Zoo Park

Windhoek

　　Although this leafy park served as a public zoo until 1962, today it functions primarily as a picnic spot and shady retreat for lunching office workers. Five thousand years ago the park was the site of a Stone Age elephant hunt, as evidenced by the remains of two elephants and...

National Museum of Namibia

Windhoek

　　The excellent display on Namibia’s independence at the country’s historical museum provides some enlightening context to the struggles of this young country. But probably the most interesting part of the museum is the rock-art display, with some great reproductions; it would definitely be worth a nose around before heading to...

Daan Viljoen Game Park

Windhoek

　　This beautiful wildlife park sits in the Khomas Hochland about 18km west of Windhoek. You can walk to your heart’s content through lovely wildlife-rich desert hills, and spot gemsboks, kudus, mountain zebras, springboks, hartebeests, warthogs and elands. Daan Viljoen is also known for its birdlife and over 200 species have...

Christuskirche

Windhoek

　　Windhoek’s best-recognised landmark, and something of an unofficial symbol of the city, this German Lutheran church stands on a traffic island and lords it over the city centre. An unusual building, it was constructed from local sandstone in 1907 and designed by architect Gottlieb Redecker in conflicting neo-Gothic and art...