Historic railway station.

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Bahnhof (Railway Station)

Swakopmund


This ornate railway station, built in 1901 as the terminal for the Kaiserliche Eisenbahn Verwaltung (Imperial Railway Authority), connected Swakopmund to Windhoek. In 1910, when the railway closed down, the building assumed the role as main station for the narrow-gauge mine railway between Swakopmund and Otavi.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Swakopmund attractions

1. Kristall Galerie

0.19 MILES

This architecturally astute gallery features some of the planet’s most incredible crystal formations, including the largest quartz crystal that has ever…

2. Old German School

0.21 MILES

The 1912 baroque-style Old German School was the result of a 1912 competition, which was won by budding German architect Emil Krause.

3. German Evangelical Lutheran Church

0.22 MILES

This neo-baroque church was built in 1906 to accommodate the growing Lutheran congregation of Dr Heinrich Vedde – it still holds regular services.

4. Altes Amtsgericht

0.24 MILES

This gabled building, on the corner of Garnison and Bahnhof Sts, was constructed in 1908 as a private school. When the funds ran out, the government took…

5. Litfass-Saule

0.25 MILES

In 1855, the Berlin printer Litfass came up with the notion of erecting advertising pillars on German street corners. For the citizens of early Swakopmund…

6. Alte Gefängnis (Old Prison)

0.29 MILES

This impressive 1909 structure, on Nordring St, was built as a prison, but if you didn’t know this, you’d swear it was either an early train station or a…

7. Marine Memorial

0.3 MILES

Often known by its German name, Marine Denkmal, this memorial was commissioned in 1907 by the Marine Infantry in Kiel, Germany, and designed by sculptor…

8. Living Desert Snake Park

0.32 MILES

This park houses an array of serpentine sorts. The owner knows everything you’d ever want to know – or not know – about snakes, scorpions, spiders and…

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