Things to do near
Devils Peak
*Distances are shown as the crow flies and not necessarily the actual travelling
distance.
Galleries and Museums
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District Six (0.4 km from Devils Peak) An exciting new theatre in Cape Town’s legendary District Six, The Fugard, is home to the internationally acclaimed Isango Portobello Theatre Company - an exciting example of what can transpire when local talent and vision meets committed international support.The Fugard is located in the historic Sacks Futeran building with the original decommissioned Congregational Church Hall in Caledon Street as its entrance. The theatre is named in honour of Athol Fugard, South Africa’s greatest playwright who will be present at the inauguration. The 270 seat theatre complex, including a rehearsal studio, foyer space, dressing rooms and office space, is a transformation of two warehouse spaces and the original Congregational Church Hall.
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District Six (0.5 km from Devils Peak) Retro décor, spaciousness and the hippest bands have earned The Assembly its reputation as one of the hottest nightspots in the Mother City.
Catch anything from live electronics, punk, rock, indie, jazz, ska, pop, comedy or the coolest new acts at The Assembly!
The enormous pimped loft has a great vibe with awesome lighting, seating and a huge bar. You'll always find the hip set here and the venue is often used for big parties.
Galleries and Museums
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City Centre (0.5 km from Devils Peak) District Six was the name of the Sixth Municipal District of Cape Town, established in 1867. The museum acts as a reminder of the terrible forceful removal of the residents during South Africa's apartheid era.
District Six was marked as a white-only area in 1966 following the Group Areas Act in 1950. As a result, 60 000 people were forcibly moved out of their homes and resettled in the barren area known today as the Cape Flats. Homes were levelled with bulldozers, leaving little reminder that District Six ever existed.
Following South Africa's transition to democracy in 1994, the District Six Museum was founded to represent as a memorial to the people and their heritage, and to confront South Africa's dark past.
Popular Attractions
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City Centre (0.8 km from Devils Peak) A unique combination of cultural and military history, exhibitions and military ceremonies awaits you at the Castle of Good Hope. Also experience the dungeons, dolphin pool, blacksmith, cannon fire, horse and carriage rides and above all the tranquil atmosphere of the Castle of Good Hope.Built between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company, better known as the VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie), this pentagonal fortification replaced a small clay and timber fort built in 1652 by Commander Jan van Riebeeck, founder of the maritime replenishment station at the Cape of Good Hope. The oldest building in South Africa, it is steeped in history but moving with the times.The Castle lends itself to many present day activities, such as open air concerts with Table Mountain as a backdrop, film and fashion shoots as well as a variety of venues for corporate functions and conferences.Guided tours are conducted by Castle guides from Monday to Saturdayat 11:00, 12:00 and 14:00. Traditional ceremonies take place during weekdays.The Key Ceremony was performed in the Castle from its earliest days and depicts the unlocking of the Castle of Good Hope. This ceremony takes place at 10:00 and 12:00 during weekdays.The firing of the signal cannon directly after the Key Ceremony is symbolic to indicate the significance of cannons at the Castle of Good Hope.The Castle Guard performs both these ceremonies. The Castle of Good Hope opens daily at 09:00 and closes at 16:00.
Galleries and Museums
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Gardens (0.9 km from Devils Peak) Home to some of the most beautiful collections, The South African National Gallery features art of South African, African, British, French, Dutch and Flemish origin.
Collections are regularly rotated so that there is always a full programme of temporary exhibitions, including paintings, photography, sculpture, architecture, beadwork, textiles and works on paper.
Open daily from 10:00 to 17:00.
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Gardens (1 km from Devils Peak) Slap bang in the middle of the city is a green oasis and what some locals only think of as a cool spot for a picnic. Well, if you stroll down the garden path you’ll find a lot more than sprawling lawns, lush plantings and luxuriant blooms.A walk back in time Named for the Dutch East India Company, the Company’s Gardens lie alongside the elegant Houses of Parliament and Tuynhuys, the President’s Cape Town residence. Established in the 1650’s by Jan van Rieebeck, the Company’s Gardens was provided fresh produce for the ships and Cape Town’s colonists. In 1848 the Garden became a botanical garden and public park, enticing visitors for a wander around the fountains, rambling lawns, koi fish ponds, Japanese rose garden, aviary, sun dial and some of the country’s oldest cultivated trees. Nut-gobblers? Be prepared to encounter busy squirrels scampering about, stopping only to grasp titbits proffered to them. Most visitors enjoy feeding the Garden's permanent residents, grabbing bags of peanuts from vendors at the Adderley Street entrance.Culture vultures and arty farties head to the Iziko South African National Gallery to check out the empressive collections of South African, African, British, Dutch, French and Flemish art. The Gardens is also home to the Iziko South African Museum with its phenomenal collection of one and a half million specimens. A mosey around the Museum’s halls leaves one with a greater understanding of the earth’s biological and cultural diversity.Beam me up? Next door is the Iziko Planetarium where you can kick back for the ultimate in comfy armchair travel – a cosmic voyage through outer space projected onto an enormous dome.Anyone for tea? Join tourists or lunchtime locals for a feast of scones, jam and cream or homemade apple pie under the boughs of stately old trees at the Company's Garden Tearoom.
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City Centre (1.1 km from Devils Peak) Keeping a century-long tradition alive, the friendly Adderley Street flower sellers bring vibrancy and character to the inner city.Known for their cheeky wit and striking array of blooms – it’s always a worthwhile stop on a walkabout of the city. You’ll be coerced to grab a bunch or two but their wares are typically inexpensive, fresh and make a great gift for someone special or just yourself.The happy sight of freshly cut flowers includes numerous exotic blossoms as well as fynbos species such as king and pincushion proteas, depending on the season.Situated in the old market place in Cape Town’s main road, you will find the flower sellers between Strand Street and Darling Street. The market is within easy walking distance of Greenmarket Square.
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City Centre (1.1 km from Devils Peak) Introducing Cape Town’s new Jazz Club THE RAINBOW ROOMAt last Capetonians now have a top central city Jazz and dinner venue! Since opening mid December 2009, The Rainbow Room at Mandela Rhodes Place on St George’s Mall the superb line up of well known local artists and young up and coming talent has had residents and visitors alike flocking to the club. Enjoying top class jazz in a superb environment that mirrors overseas clubs of the same genre is not the only thing the Rainbow Room offers: delicious “Soul” food and social drinks add to the experience making a memorable evening!The philosophy of these regular sessions is to feature Cape Town’s top musicians supported by young up and coming musical talent. The brains behind this venture; Alison McCutcheon and business partner Frank Gormley of The Rainbow Experience, Eric Alan of Jazz Rendezvous on Radio 2000 and Aki Khan of Eastern Acoustics have networked and collaborated with musicians and the top acoustic specialists to ensure that this new venue is an optimum performance environment.Sessions will take place four times a week and Monday sees Listening jazz with head set and jazz jamming, Thursday offers AfroJazz with Shado Twala offering her choices for fabulous entertainment, Friday evenings takes you on a smooth jazz trip whilst Saturday will showcase mainstream jazz. During the week sessions start at 6pm allowing you to enjoy a relaxing time after work and beat the evening traffic gridlock. On Saturday prepare for an evening of pleasure from 8pm.Great food is part of the experience so book early and enjoy some Cape Town soul food: delicious butter chicken, lamb shank with dollops of garlic mash and morogo plus traditional cuisine done the rainbow way! Chef Whaheed Rojan will have daily surprises to keep one coming back for more.The format of the sessions is simple: an opening act of one set by student musicians drawn from the music schools of Cape Town, followed by two sets featuring the best jazz musicians from Cape Town. Nationally and internationally acclaimed musicians will be featured when the occasion arises. There is no prescribed play list and the Rainbow Room will encourage the artists to perform their original compositions as well as the well known International and South African jazz standards.With a cover charge of R50 (special discounts for music students and musicians) and this convivial atmosphere, whether seated at tables or the bar, you can enjoy jazz at its very best.Jazz guru Eric Alan is excited about the response to the venue which answers all the musicians’ needs.“Finally we have a professional platform to showcase Cape Town’s and South Africa’s amazing musical talent in an environment where music lovers are going to feel as at home as the musicians. It is also important to give new young talent a stage to perform before a live audience, this vision is being realised at every session and we can only grow from hereon. The Rainbow Room’s aim is to become the premier serious jazz music listening venue in Cape Town and South Africa, rivaling the best known jazz venues around the world.”The Rainbow Room is a true music venue in all senses and acoustically provides the best that Cape Town has to offer. Aki Khan of Eastern Acoustics spent many hours fine tuning and developing the venue and says he is proud to be the technical partner of The Rainbow Room. His vision is to assist in empowering musicians, technicians and in growing the music business through quality live recordings. With this in mind all performances will be recorded with the view of releasing “Live at The Rainbow Room” compilations and full CD’s of all concerts. This means there will be a strict “silence during performances” policy in place during the sessionsResearch into successful Jazz venues in international cities has shown that creating a space of respect for musicians and the music has resulted in outstanding musical experiences where musicians perform at their optimum.Expect the unusual to be the usual and the Rainbow Room to become your venue of choice to visit on a regular basis.Need to know? Booking is essential 021 422 1428Cost: R50 cover charge plus any refreshments. Dinner is served before and after the main act. Interpark Parking off Burg Street with direct access to Mandela Rhodes Place.
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Cape Town (1.2 km from Devils Peak) Founded in 1825 and situated in the historic Company's Garden, the IZiko South African Museum is a popular place for visitors coming into Cape Town.
Millions of visitors have wandered through its halls and corridors to be stimulated and inspired by its collections and exhibitions. They have left the Museum with a better understanding of the earth and its biological and cultural diversity, past and present.
Hours:
Open 10:00 to 17:00 daily.
Closed on Workers Day and Christmas Day.
Entrance fees:
16 years and older: R15;
Under 16 years: free.
South African pensioners, school learners and students: R5
Free entrance on selected commemorative days.
Galleries and Museums
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City Centre (1.2 km from Devils Peak) The Iziko Planetarium is housed in the South African Museum building in Cape Town. The venue is a round celestial theatre, utilising a complex Minolta star machine and multiple projectors to transport the audience through the wonders of the universe.
Night skies are created within the dome, coupled with great audio to make the experience a unique and memorable one.
Opening hours:
Open all week;
Closed on Workers' Day, Christmas Day and the first Monday of every month.
Entry fee:
Adults (19 years and older): R25;
Children, students and SA Pensioners: R10.
Popular Attractions
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City Centre (1.2 km from Devils Peak) Right in the centre of Cape Town is one of the oldest public spaces in the Mother City. Greenmarket Square celebrated its 300th birthday in March 2010 with a substantial facelift.Refurbished ablutions, a brand new stage, newly laid cobblestones, reconstructed marketplace and more spacious café environment have made this vibrant spot more people-friendly.The atmospheric market dates back to 1696 when it was built. Later sailors from passing ships would use the area for trading their merchandise and stocking up on produce before they continued their voyage.In recent years, Greenmarket Square has become an increasingly crowded trading venue offering a wide variety of Pan-African curios, clothing, candles and speciality stalls.Numerous restaurants and cafes surround the square, providing good people-watching vantage points while you take a caffeine break from shopping.Remember the Purple Rain Protest? Throughout the apartheid era, Greenmarket Square was frequently the focus of political protests. This was largely due to its proximity to parliament, and also the background of its shoppers and merchants. Today the market is still buzzing with interesting characters and has a great atmosphere.Opening hours:Monday to Friday 09:00 – 16:00Saturday 09:00 – 15:00
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City Centre (1.2 km from Devils Peak) Who is that dude with all those eggs on his head? Egg Man appears at Greenmarket Square come rain or shine and at all the hottest festivals in South Africa, adding an air of Rio-style festivity wherever he performs. His name is Gregory da Silva - a comedian artist, storyteller, dancer and live street performer. Egg Man was born in Benin West Africa, which is Voodoo Country. He speaks French and English and is living in the Mother City.Wearing an invincible smile and a twenty five kilogram headdress, he always turns heads as he strolls around Greenmarket Square. Each day his outfit sports a new feature, presenting the city centre with a new display of his symbolic African art and culture. His body is armoured with artefacts and his face painted with tribal patterns. Gregory's warm voice is lively and he repeatedly offers phrases and words in French. Gregory performs at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival, the Hermanus Whale Festival, Klein Karoo National Kunstefees and many others. He has been hired to receive guests at hotels and airports and appeared on SABC 2 and E-TV News. His dream is to impart creative knowledge to South African youth, giving them the power to create beautiful things and also to support themselves, all part of his ultimate venerable ambition to "bring Africa together to make one". Bravo!
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City Centre (1.2 km from Devils Peak) Zula Sound Bar mixes the finest music with live theatre and dance. Add a sprinkling of poetry, and Cape Town has an ever-changing art house.
Zula has hosted some of the Mother City's leading musicians – Freshly Ground, Godessa, Teba, Bed on Bricks, 340ml and Sons of Sellassie as well as International DJs such as Pascal (True Playaz). Zula gets cooking from 12:00 until late every day, having one of the finest kitchens in Long Street offering affordable excellent meals.
From the fully licensed Magic Tree Bar there is a selection of Cape wines, local and international beers and cocktails. Whether you chill on the balcony, boogie inside or sink a few balls between sets in the games room, Zula is a cool, fresh, funky music venue and restaurant just waiting for you – whatever your age, gender, colour or creed.
Opening hours: 12:00 to 00:00 Tuesday to Saturday, Monday 16:00 to 00:00.
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City Centre (1.2 km from Devils Peak) Vibrant and hip Long Street is the main street to party or chill out in Cape Town’s trendy City Bowl. Here you can choose any restaurant, lounge, club, or pub that strikes your mood. Every place is unique and promises a fabulous vibe.
Architecturally Long Street is renowned for the attractive Victorian buildings, some housing interesting bookshops and ethnic-styled eating and drinking spots.
Attracting a diverse range of locals and tourists from all over the globe, accommodation choices on Long Street are appropriately varied. Choose from chic penthouses, self-catering apartments, arty hotels or funky backpackers.
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City Centre (1.2 km from Devils Peak) Down one of Long Street's quieter avenues, you'll find the inconspicuous yet classy Julep Bar.
A small venue, featuring warm, trendy interiors with matching lounge seats. A well-stocked bar is located at the back where you can acquire your favourites drink, as well as a selection of delicious cocktails. If you'll like to complement your drinks with some snacks, there is a tapas menu available to help whet your appetite.
Vibey evenings are sometimes matched with live music, proving to be a popular spot to hang out with friends.
Open Monday to Sunday, 17:00 to 2:00.
Cover charge is sometimes applied.