Cape Town: South Africa's showcase city

By Bernhard Krieger May 4, 2010, 18:12 GMT

Cape Town - Majestic mountains, generous expanses of beach, legendary vineyards and a pulsating metropolis. Cape Town is without doubt the most attractive venue for the soccer World Cup in South Africa.

The tournament takes place during winter in the southern hemisphere, yet that should by no means diminish the power of this magnet to attract football fans and tourists from all over the world.

It comes as no surprise that almost every trip to Cape Town begins with a tour around Table Mountain.

The flat-topped colossus rises 1,087 metres above the level of the Atlantic. Those who wish to hike to the top should not underestimate the physical effort involved. Stout shoes, waterproof clothing and a local guide are essentials for first time tourists. The ascent takes around three hours, depending on the walker's fitness level.

The cableway takes only a few minutes to reach the summit, from where the eye can rove over a panorama of countless houses and the glittering blue ocean beyond. The view extends to Robben Island, the former prison island where former president Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for many years.

Genteel is most the apt word to described the atmosphere at the Mount Nelson Hotel, which nestles at the foot of the mountain. This upmarket urban sanctuary serves a celebrated 'Afternoon Tea,' which is described by enthusiasts of this British culinary treat as one of the best experiences of its kind worldwide.

The buffet is laid out on the Windsor Table, a relic from an ocean-going schooner, in the hotel's lounge area and includes seemingly everything from carefully-cut cucumber sandwiches to Black Forest Gateau and smoked salmon.

Such privilege is the preserve of a chosen few in Cape Town, where more than half of the population lives in austere, basic houses or in the corrugated tin huts of the townships.

'Cape Town is considered to be South Africa's showpiece city, but murders, assaults and violent attacks are everyday occurrences,' said Gerd, a German who came to live in the city many years ago. Caution is called for after dark, even around the otherwise safe shopping and amusement centre Victoria & Albert Waterfront.

The Cape of Good Hope is about an hour by car from Cape Town. On the way back an essential stopover for many tourists is False Bay near Simons Town, the only protected mainland breeding colony of the African penguin on the entire continent.

The journey also takes visitors through the Constantia valley and past South Africa's most venerable vineyard, the Groot Constantia, which was founded in 1685 by Simon van der Stel, who later became governor.

When the sun goes down, the villas and Victorian houses which throng the trendy seaside promenade at Camps Bay are bathed in soft light. The 'twelve apostles,' a small range of mountains nearby, form the backdrop.

Visitors won't catch sight of it, but they should be able to feel a refreshing wind around these parts. It is known as the Cape Doctor because it blows away smog and helps clear the air. The persistent south-east winds are also responsible for the blanket 'tablecloth' cloud over the city's famous mountain.

Cape Town is best enjoyed from the waterfront, says Gerd. The World Cup stadium in the seaside suburb of Green Point is only a short distance from here. The stadium is the work of German architects Gerkan, Marg & Partner and, according to the German emigre, it has already achieved landmark status.

The venue shares the accolade with the city's parliament building, a handsome structure with a central dome and Corinthian porticoes, and the colonial-style Victorian buildings with their iron balconies in Long Street. This is a lively, colourful thoroughfare where much restoration work has been carried out in recent years.