What will I see from the top of Table
Mountain
The view of the city of Cape Town from the top of Table Mountain is quite incredible. Whether you look out to sea, across Table Bay, towards the mountains of Stellenbosch or down onto the city itself you cannot help but be amazed.
The city of Cape Town viewed from the mountain
Whilst there are a number of interesting land marks to spot from the mountain including the Molteno reservoir, the pepper pot towers and the new soccer stadium, one of the most interesting things to look at is the position of the Castle of Good Hope.
From the mountain top the Castle can be spotted close to the Good Hope Centre. It is notable mainly for its pentangular walls and the orange colour of the walls. What is interesting is the position of the castle which is quite some distance from the shore. Knowing the main purpose of the castle was to defend the citizens of Cape Town from assault from the sea its position seems strange.
The soccer stadium is an easily recognised land mark
However the reason for this is very easily explained. The castle was built between 1666 and 1679 and at this stage it was indeed on the coast. However in the 1940’s 194 hectares of land were reclaimed on the Southern and South Eastern shores of the Bay. Thus most of the foreshore and waterfront are on land that has only existed for 70 odd years!
