If you enjoy walking and seeing things up close, this walking tour around Windhoek should be of interest to you. It is a circular route starting and ending at the Gustav Voigts Centre (Kalahari Sands Hotel) in Independence Avenue. One needs to wear comfortable shoes and a hat in the hot weather. The whole tour will take about four hours to complete, or less if you are a regular walker.

Starting at Gustav Voigts Centre, cross Independence Avenue at the traffic lights. At the Tourist Information centre, you can see a display of local craft. Cross Fidel Castro Street to Zoo Park, where you will see a sculpted stone column by well known Namibian artist Dorte Berne. The monument marks the place were the remains of elephant bones were found in the 1950s. These are now on display at the Geological Survey Museum, near Eros Airport. In the park is the Witbooi Memorial, which was unveiled in 1897. It commemorates the lives of soldiers lost in the fight between the Schutztruppe (German troops) and the soldiers of Hendrik Witbooi, the legendary Nama chief. When you reach the fountains, cross Independence Avenue for a tour into Post Street Mall, which is a venue for street vendors selling local art, African-style clothing, curios and jewellery. It was developed around one of Windhoek’s oldest hotels, now called the Kaiserkrone Centre. In the courtyard, which houses an open-air restaurant, the old palm trees can still be seen. In the mall one can see the Gibeon Meteorite Fountain, where 31 of the original 77 Gibeon meteorites are on display.

Return to Independence Avenue at the clock tower, and turn right into Daniel Munamava Street and then left into Luderitz Street, following the hill until it runs into Independence Avenue. On your right you will pass the Public Library, then the Magistrate’s Court. The bronze kudu on a high stone column on the corner to your left is a landmark often used by locals to give directions. The work was done by Professor Fritz Behn of Munich and was unveiled in the early 1950s. Turn right here into Independence Avenue, cross at the traffic lights, and at the next set of lights turn left into Bahnhof Street. At the bottom of Bahnhof Street is the Windhoek Railway Station, which dates from 1912. Here you will see a narrow-gauge locomotive used in the early 1900s, which travelled on the old line between Swakopmund and Windhoek. There are also other exhibits on show outside the station. On the first floor of the station building is the Trans Namib Transport Museum.

After viewing the museum, double back up Bahnhof Street, cross Independence Avenue, and continue to Robert Mugabe Avenue. On the right hand corner you will note the Turnhalle Building (Gymnasium from German times) which was where the Turnhalle Conference had its first meeting in 1975, during the murky days of pre-independence political manoeuvring in Namibia In 2003 it was renovated to house the SADC Tribunal. Opposite the Turnhalle Building is the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre. Their tea room can be interesting to visit, as they often have the works of local artists on display.

Go down Robert Mugabe to the right to where it crosses John Meinert Street. On the right you will see the National Art Gallery of Namibia, which has a Permanent Collection of historical and contemporary Namibian art. At the back of the gallery is the Sculpture Garden. Next to the gallery is the National Theatre and opposite is the Namibian Scientific Society, where one can purchase publications on Namibia published by the Society.

Still continuing south alone Robert Mugabe Avenue, on your right is the Owela Museum where you can find a game which is called Owela. This is an African game played with pebbles. Next to the Museum is the Public Library. Take a short detour into Love Street, where, on your left, you will find the smallest cathedral in Southern Africa.

Continuing up the hill, on your right you come to State House, which at the moment is the official residence of the President of Namibia. This house was originally occupied by the Administrators of the former South West Africa. Continuing up the hill you will reach the Christuskirche (the Evangelical Lutheran Church) which was built of local sandstone and completed in 1910. The stained-glass windows were donated by Kaiser Wilhelm II. This building can be visited if you get the key from the church office in Fidel Castro Street.

On your left is the famous Tintenpalast (Palace of Ink), the original Government Building built by the Germans in 1914. The gardens are open to the public, and on certain days one can enjoy a guided tour through the building. It is now the seat of Parliament. Continuing down Robert Mugabe Street, you will see the Alte Feste (Old Fort), which was built in the early 1890s to provide protection to the settlers and accommodation for the Schutztruppe. Today it is a Museum, and the Independence Collection is housed here. Near the fort is the Reiter Denkmal statue (Equestrian Memorial), which commemorates German soldiers who lost their lives in colonial wars.

Continue down Robert Mugabe Avenue, and on the right is the Office of the Ombudsman, which as originally built in 1906 for senior government officials. Turn left (east) into Sam Nujoma Avenue. On the hill to your right is the Schweringsburg Castle, which is used today as the Italian ambassadors’ home. After a very short distance, leave Sam Nujoma Avenue to walk left past the church. This will take you to the Botanical Gardens, where you can spend a pleasant hour strolling in the grounds.

Go back to Robert Magabe Avenue, turn left, and continue until you come to Heinitzburg Street. Here on your left you will find the Heinitzburg Castle, which today is a hotel with a magnificent view over the city. Walk up Heinitzburg Street to Kasteel Street and on your right you will see the Sanderburg Castle, which is a private residence. These castles were built at the beginning of the 1900s as private homes. Although they are quite small they have many of the features of castles, such as turrets, niches and nooks, narrow twisting staircases and arched doorways and windows.

Retrace your steps to Robert Mugabe Avenue and walk back the way you came. Then walk down Sam Nujoma Avenue towards Independence Avenue. At the traffic light, turn right into Rev. Michael Scott Street and view the Supreme Court building. Go back to Sam Nujoma Avenue and proceed down to Independence Avenue. On your left, in front of the Municipal Building, there is a statue of Curt von Francois, the German military commander who established the Alte Feste as his headquarters in 1889.

Go across Independence Avenue until you reach Tal Street, where you can visit the Namibia Crafts Centre in the Old Breweries Building. This is well worth a visit. In addition, by this time you will probably appreciate refreshments at the restaurant on the upper floor of the complex. Go back to Independence Avenue and go northwards until you come to the Gustav Voigts Centre.

Another short walk that can be done is the Hoffmeyer Walk, which is really impressive in March and April when the aloes bloom. This route runs along the ridge between Klein Windhoek and the city, and is gained from Sinclair Street or from the upper end of Oban Street. In the vicinity, the cone-shaped water tower stands on Lovers’ Hill and is a good spot for viewing the city. On the hill you will find a collection of indigenous trees and aloes on the slops. Another lookout point is Werth Crescent which leads off Sinclair Street.