The Euros Mountains in the north and the Auas Mountains in the south border the beautiful valley city of Windhoek. It is both the capital of Namibia, as well as its largest city. Situated in a semi-arid climactic region, Windhoek’s days are mostly warm, with hot days during the summer months, but cool nights. (The winter months are June, July, and August.) This city can be accessed via air through two airports. The larger of the two, Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, is approximately 26 miles (42 kilometers) from town. Closer to town, is Eros Airport. It is 4.3 miles away (7 kilometers) however, this airport services mainly light aircraft. Several international companies offer rental cars at the airports as well.
A broad range of hotels, lodges, guesthouses, and restaurants are located in Windhoek, as well as a railway station. For medical issues, there are a number of state run hospitals, private hospitals, and doctors available. Also, you can find banks (with 24-hour access to ATMs), pharmacies, grocery stores, and clothing stores. There are two shopping malls in Windhoek, if you desire a larger selection of goods. Namibia gained its independence from South African administration in 1990. Since that time, the city of Windhoek has experienced continued growth and development. There are roughly 250,000 people living in Windhoek and nearly every Namibian national business, governmental body, educational, and cultural institution is located here. It is also the social, economic, and cultural center of Namibia.
From the early days of German colonialism, contributing to the charm of Windhoek, are the beautiful Wilhelmian (Victorian) style buildings. Notable in this area, is the influence of German culture and language, including food, beer, restaurants, and the German carnival. Although German cuisine dominates, you will find a Namibian influence in their cuisine. You can typically find breads, cakes, pastries, fresh fruit, omelets, coffee and juice for breakfast. The dinner menu frequently consists of beef, pork, or lamb dishes, salads, seafood, and cheese plates, as well as other local African game, including ostrich. (Of course, all restaurant menus vary.) Windhoek is also home to Namibia’s brewing industry, so take some time to sample a cold beer! You can easily explore Windhoek by foot. The center of the city itself lies on both sides of Independence Avenue. The busy main road starts at the Ausspannplatz in the south and stretches up to the former township, known as Katutura, in the north. There are many sights to see in this charming city. Among them is “Tintenpalast,” located within parliament gardens, and is the seat of both chambers of Namibian legislature. This structure was built between 1912 and 1913. “Reiterdenkmal” is another popular point of interest. An equestrian monument, it commemorates soldiers and civilians that died in the Herero and Namaqua War of 1904-1907. This statue also celebrates the victory of the German Empire. The “Alte Feste,” was built in 1890 (meaning “Old Fortress” and headquarters of the Schutztruppe, the name for the protective German forces), and today is the National Museum.
A beautiful piece of architecture is Christ Church, a Lutheran church built in gothic revival style with Art Nouveau elements, which opened its doors in 1910. Don’t miss another lovely church in the area, which is St. Mary’s Cathedral. A more modern piece of architecture in Windhoek is the Supreme Court of Namibia, built between 1994 and 1996. This is the only building in the area constructed after post-independence in an African style of architecture. Along with inherent charm, you will find the people of this city, all ages and cultures, to have a wonderful sense of pride, hope, and ambition. As you can see, Windhoek has a wealth of culture to experience along with places to see, things to do, food to sample, and people to meet!