Church Square

Cape Town


One of the city's most attractive public plazas is surrounded by handsome old buildings including the Herbert Baker-designed National Mutual Building, parts of which date to 1905; it now houses the Iziko Social History Centre. A property developer has been restoring commercial spaces in buildings around the square and there are plans to launch a free sound-and-light show here at night as well as provide hi-tech historical information to visitors via an interactive app.

Transportation

  • bus: Groote Kerk

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cape Town attractions

1. Jan Hendrik Statue

In Church Sq stands a statue of Jan Hendrik, one-time editor of the Zuid Afrikaan newspaper and a key figure behind the drafting of the 1909 South African…

2. Slavery Memorial

0.01 MILES

On Church Sq, this public art project comprises 11 low, black granite blocks engraved with the names of slaves or words relating to slavery, resistance…

3. Slave Tree

0.03 MILES

A small circular plaque in the traffic island on Spin St marks the location of the Slave Tree under which slaves are believed to have been sold until…

4. Groote Kerk

0.04 MILES

The highlights of the mother church of the Dutch Reformed Church (Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk) are its mammoth organ and ornate Burmese-teak pulpit,…

5. Mullers Opticians

0.06 MILES

One of the the most beautifully preserved art deco shopfronts in the City Bowl, a landmark since 1920, this is South Africa's oldest optician, founded in…

6. Iziko Slave Lodge

0.06 MILES

Dating back to 1660, the Slave Lodge is one of the oldest buildings in South Africa. Once home to as many as 1000 slaves, the lodge has a fascinating…

7. Jan Smuts Statue

0.07 MILES

One of two statues of Jan Smuts located in the city centre, this is the more traditional interpretation of the former general and prime minister (1870…

8. Mutual Heights

0.08 MILES

Clad in rose- and gold-veined black marble, Mutual Heights is the most impressive of the City Bowl’s collection of art deco structures. The facade is…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "south-africa/cape-town/city-bowl-bo-kaap-and-de-waterkant/attractions/church-square/a/poi-sig/1429685/1323002",
      "destination": "Cape-Town",
      "continent": "Africa",
      "country": "South-Africa",
      "city": "Cape-Town",
      "position": "superzone"
    }