Muizenberg and a Mile of History

Name: Muizenberg and a Mile of History
Brand: VoiceMap
SKU: 2755
Price: 2.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5.0 (7 reviews)
Author: John

(7 reviews)

Cape Town audio tour: Muizenberg and a Mile of History

This is a 0.4mi walking tour

It takes an average of 20 mins to complete.

Cape Town

South Africa

$2.99

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About the Tour

The short historical walk has wonderful views and exposes some enlightening facts that are a part of SA history and culture. The walk takes you along the pavement of the Main Road which overlooks the sea and rocks, alongside the railway line. Along the way, we'll delve into the fascinating and often turbulent history of Muizenberg. We'll find out how it played a role in shaping South Africa's history. We'll also learn about the cast of characters that used to populate Millionaire's Mile at the turn of the century.

Tour Producer

John Whitehead

2 tours

I am a local, an ex-teacher and a Cape Town tourist guide. My tours focus on uncovering stories that make the city interesting. These narratives, together with our history and the scenic beauty of the Cape to give visitors a great tour experience.

Preview Location

Location 2

Het Postehuys

Stop here for a moment to have a look across the road at Het Posthuys, the simple single-story building tucked under the mountain.

You’ll notice that the cannon supports are marked ‘VOC’ which is very relevant to the story. It stands for Verenichte Oostindiesche Compagnie ... Stop here for a moment to have a look across the road at Het Posthuys, the simple single-story building tucked under the mountain.

You’ll notice that the cannon supports are marked ‘VOC’ which is very relevant to the story. It stands for Verenichte Oostindiesche Compagnie or United East Indies Company.

As you may have realised ‘Het Posthuys’ is Dutch for The Post House. Many locals and visitors are aware that the Dutch set up a refreshment station at the Cape in 1652. The job of the company officials was to obtain supplies and fresh products from local farmers to replenish ships travelling between Europe and the East.

For the first hundred years of the occupation, Table Bay in Cape Town was used as a port for repairs and for replenishing ships. After about 100 years of using Table Bay, the Dutch decided to switch to Simonstown. Do you know what prompted the change?
It was due to Cape Town being badly exposed to Atlantic storms. Dutch officials decided to relocate the primary port to Simonstown a natural harbour which was much safer.

The problem which arose from the new harbour was that the fresh supplies were still produced near the city and had to be transported by ox-wagon, through the Muizenberg area, to Simonstown. Importantly, the goods needed to be taxed.

It was the first building in the area, built in 1673, to warn the Dutch of possible attacks. It served as a tax office in 1795, where we take up the story. It also served as a barracks, an ale house, a stable and a brothel, and was recognised as a heritage site in the 1970s.
One of its first commanders was one Sargent Muijs, who was based here in its earlier days. The mountain above was first called Muijs Zijn Berg (or Muijs’ Mountain) and finally Muizenberg.

With political turmoil in Europe at the time, revolution in Holland found Dutch citizens aligning with Napoleon’s France. The control of the sea route to the East was of great concern to Britain. As a result, in 1795 the Royal Navy ordered 4 warships to the Cape to negotiate with Dutch forces at Simonstown. They landed over 1000 troops at the recently established port with the aim of offering to protect the station from France. The smaller Dutch force was in no mood to negotiate and retreated to the Posthuys. The British ships, with superior guns were able to launch a broadside from a safe vantage point out in the bay, beyond the range of the Dutch cannons.

The Posthuys location, exposed and close to the beach, became its undoing and the Battle of Muizenberg was soon over. The Dutch forces continued their retreat to a place a few miles inland which is still named…Retreat!

Ok, when you're ready, walk about 30 meters and stand opposite the two tan coloured structures that are marked“SAP Museum”. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Het Posthuys
SAPS Museum
Casa Labia
Rhodes Cottage Museum

Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Beach, Muizenberg, Cape Town, 7950, South Africa
Total distance

653m
Final location
246 Main Rd, Muizenberg, Cape Town, 7945, South Africa
Distance back to start location

638.45m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour commences at the Muizenberg Train Station, on the pavement of the Main Road which runs past on the mountain side. Take a train to Muizenberg and exit the platform on the mountain side of the railway line. Cabs and cars can pull into the station parking area. Visitors who park at the beach can cross the railway line at the pedestrian crossing or via the station subway.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Posthuys and Rhodes Cottage museums are only occasionally open. Phone numbers are on display at the museums. SAP museum is open on weekdays. Casa Labia is run as a restaurant. The walkway on the sea side of the railway line is worth visiting.

Best time of day

Any day in daylight hours. On a warm sunny day (highly recommended) please bring hats and sunscreen.

Precautions

You are always safer in groups. Keep valuables out of sight.

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“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”

Google Play Store

Questions and Reviews

5 / 5

7 Ratings

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