Best Travel Guide Windhoek | ArrivalGuides.com

WindhoekGuide was updated: 2024-09-17

Windhoek is at Namibia's centre in more ways than one: apart from being the country's main political hub by design, it also happens to sit in its very heart geographically, making the city an easy stop over on the way to Namibia's spectacular natural attractions. Some of those include the Namib-Naukluft National Park, with its striking Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, Etosha National Park with free-roaming indigenous animals, and the endless stretch of ghastly, striking Skeleton Coast.

Do & See

Few come to Namibia and limit their stay to Windhoek alone, but most who do travel to the country choose to spend a day or two in the easy-going capital. Although attractions are admittedly scarce, there is just enough for a good couple of days with sightseeing and shopping. If you happen to have time on your hands and do not mind venturing out of the city centre, check out the recently inaugurated Heroes Acre (south of Windhoek, down B1), an expansive war memorial commemorating those involved in the Namibian liberation struggle.

Christ Church

The sandstone Christuskirche is, despite its modest size and unimposing appearance, somewhat of the city's symbol. Designed by a prolific German architect, the church marks an important era in Namibian history, and remains an attractive location for locals to exchange vows in marriage.

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Independence Memorial Museum

For a closer look at Namibia's historic path to late independence in 1990, visit the Independence Memorial Museum housed inside an imposing modernist building in Windhoek's former colonial heart. The museum was designed by a North Korean construction company, involved in multiple construction projects across Africa, hence the socialist aesthetic. The top floor panoramic restaurant is worth a pit stop.

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Daan Viljoen Game Reserve

For a brush with spectacular nature and wildlife within a half hour drive from the Namibian capital, Daan Viljoen Game Reserve is hard to beat. Its vast expanses are inhabited by native animals such as zebra and antelope, along with a couple hundred indigenous bird species. The park is an excellent getaway for picnics and hiking.

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Alte Feste

The oldest surviving building of the Namibian capital was originally built to house the German colonial troops in the late 19th century, later going on to become a museum for Namibia's struggle for independence, as well as a historic landmark in itself. The controversial Reiterdenkmal, an alleged symbol of German dominance in the region, has been relocated from its original place opposite the Christuskirche into the yard of Alte Feste for storage. The interior space is closed for public visits as of mid-2019; a few wartime exhibits are showcased out front.

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Trans-Namib Transport Museum

Windhoek's German-built train station contains a curious museum of old railway memorabilia and antiquated equipment, and still sports Fraktur typefaces on in- and outdoor signs. Original 19th century locomotives are displayed just outside the station.

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National Botanic Garden of Namibia

A pleasant green oasis containing several distinct areas with flora indigenous to Namibia. Note that the garden only operates on weekdays (closed on weekends and holidays), except for the second Saturday of the month (opens 8-11am).

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