Grand Parade

Cape Town

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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.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Flowers in the Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens below Table Mountain.

    Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

    4.35 MILES

    Location and unique flora combine to make these 5.28-sq-km botanical gardens among the most beautiful in the world. Gate 1, the main entrance at the…

  • Cape of Good Hope

    Cape of Good Hope

    29.92 MILES

    This 77.5-sq-km section of Table Mountain National Park includes awesome scenery, fantastic walks, great birdwatching and often-deserted beaches. The…

  • Table Mountain Aerial Cableway in Cape Town

    Table Mountain

    2.6 MILES

    Around 600 million years old, and a canvas painted with the rich diversity of the Cape floral kingdom, Table Mountain is truly iconic. You can admire the…

  • Prison Barrack on Robben Island

    Robben Island

    8.82 MILES

    Used as a prison from the early days of the VOC (Dutch East India Company) right up until 1996, this Unesco World Heritage site is preserved as a memorial…

  • Simondium near Paarl Western Cape South Africa, Vineyard of the Babylonstoren wine estate.

    Babylonstoren

    29.63 MILES

    This 2.5-sq-km wine and fruit farm is on the north slope of the Simonsberg mountain between Klapmuts and Paarl. Its highlight is an 800-sq-metre, formally…

  • African penguins on the stone in evening twilight. African penguin ( Spheniscus demersus) also known as the jackass penguin and black-footed penguin. Boulders colony. South Africa 628098086 Endangered Species, Wilderness Area, Stone - Object, Sea Life, Colony, Two Animals, Water Bird, Bird Watching, Arrival, Coastline, Dusk, Dawn, Twilight, Cute, Jackass Penguin, Animal Foot, Animal Wing, Fun, Wildlife, Nature, South Africa, Uncultivated, Animals In The Wild, Penguin, Sea Bird, Freshwater Bird, Bird, Animal, Sunset, Boulder - Rock, Sand, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Sea, Surf, flightless, Footed, south-africa, blackfooted, black-footed, Life, Aquatic

    Boulders Penguin Colony

    18.8 MILES

    This picturesque area, with enormous boulders dividing small, sandy coves, is home to a colony of some 3000 delightful African penguins. A boardwalk runs…

  • District Six Museum

    District Six Museum

    0.2 MILES

    It's impossible not to be emotionally moved by this museum, which celebrates the once lively multiracial area that was destroyed during apartheid in the…

  • Groot Constantia manor house in Cape Town, South Africa.

    Groot Constantia

    7.24 MILES

    Simon van der Stel’s manor house, a superb example of Cape Dutch architecture, is maintained as a museum at Groot Constantia. Set in beautiful grounds,…

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Nearby Cape Town attractions

1. Nelson Mandela Statue

0.06 MILES

On 11 February 1990, Nelson Mandela gave his first speech as a free man from the balcony at Cape Town City Hall. To celebrate the centenary of his birth,…

2. Central Library

0.06 MILES

The Drill Hall, dating from 1889 and where Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 21st birthday, has been sensitively restored and turned into the city’s…

3. Cape Town City Hall

0.07 MILES

Cape Town's old city hall is a grand Edwardian building dating to 1905. Nelson Mandela made his first public speech from the front balcony here after…

4. We Are Still Here

0.08 MILES

Mosaic artists Lovell Friedman and Leora Lewis are the creators of this powerful artwork just outside the Central Library. A mosaic of ceramic tiles forms…

5. Castle Entrance Gate

0.08 MILES

The main entrance to the Castle of Good Hope, crowned by a bell tower, replaced the original sea-facing entrance to the fortress.

6. Castle of Good Hope

0.13 MILES

Built by the Dutch between 1666 and 1679 to defend Cape Town, this stone-walled pentagonal castle remains the headquarters for the Western Cape military…

7. Homecoming Centre

0.14 MILES

This centre houses an annexe of the District Six Museum which is usually open for temporary exhibitions and events. Currently there's a wonderful…

8. Mutual Heights

0.16 MILES

Clad in rose- and gold-veined black marble, Mutual Heights is the most impressive of the City Bowl’s collection of art deco structures. The facade is…