The Castle of Good Hope has been the centre of life at the Cape since its inception in January 1666. It has survived many challenges in its time and was constantly under threat of being demolished for personal and materialistic gain. Sentiment in the early days whereby the then Imperial Government offered the Castle for sale for a mere £83, would seem to be nothing new and thanks to the military authorities they evoked a strong public reaction in favour of retaining the Castle of Good Hope.
The gateway - built in 1682 - replaced the old entrance, which faced the sea. The pediment bears the coat of arms of the United Netherlands, portraying the crowned lion rampant holding the seven arrows of unity in its paw. Carved on the architrave below are the arms of Van Hoorn, Delft , Amsterdam, Middelburg, Rotterdam and Enkhuizen - all Dutch cities in which the United East India Company had chambers. Two VOC (Vereenighde Oost-Indische Compagnie) monograms flank the carvings.
The two pilasters, entablature and pediment above are built of grey-blue stone, while the entrance is made of small yellow bricks called ijselstene, making it a unique example of 17th century Dutch classicism at the Cape .
Sections of the moat, which previously formed part of the defence system of the Castle, were rebuilt in 1992 during restorations.
Guided Tours are conducted from Monday to Saturday at 11:00, 12:00 and 14:00.
The Key Ceremony is performed Weekdays at 10:00 and 12:00, followed by the firing of the Signal Cannon.
