In 1905 the need for a good cargo- and passenger-landing site led Swakopmund’s founders to construct the original wooden pier. In the years that followed, it was battered by the high seas and damaged by woodworm, and in 1911 construction began on a 500m iron jetty. When the South African forces occupied Swakopmund, the port became redundant (they already controlled Walvis Bay), so the old wooden pier was removed in 1916, and the unfinished iron pier – a starkly beautiful thing – was left to the elements.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.3 MILES
This recently overhauled waterfront aquarium provides an excellent introduction to the cold offshore world in the South Atlantic Ocean. Most impressive is…
24.03 MILES
Southwest of the lagoon is this 3500-hectare salt-pan complex, which currently supplies over 90% of South Africa's salt. As with the one in Swakopmund,…
20.92 MILES
If you're on a quest to see welwitschias, continue east along the Welwitschia Drive to the Moon Landscape, a vista across eroded hills and valleys carved…
0.71 MILES
This ornate railway station, built in 1901 as the terminal for the Kaiserliche Eisenbahn Verwaltung (Imperial Railway Authority), connected Swakopmund to…
0.38 MILES
When ill winds blow, head for this museum at the foot of the lighthouse, where you can hole up and learn about the town's history. The museum occupies the…
18.84 MILES
During the winter, rail services between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay are often plagued by windblown sand, which covers the tracks and undermines the…
0.24 MILES
From the shore, the delightful German-style Woermannhaus stands out above surrounding buildings. Built in 1905 as the main offices of the Damara & Namaqua…
20.77 MILES
If you're on a quest to see weltwitschias, continue east along the Weltwitschia Drive to the Moon Landscape, a vista across eroded hills and valleys…
Nearby Swakopmund attractions
0.23 MILES
The single-storey Prinzessin Rupprecht Heim, on Lazarett St, was constructed in 1902 as a military hospital. In 1914 it was transferred to the Bavarian…
0.24 MILES
From the shore, the delightful German-style Woermannhaus stands out above surrounding buildings. Built in 1905 as the main offices of the Damara & Namaqua…
0.26 MILES
The imposing, fort-like Alte Kaserne was built in 1906 by the railway company, and now houses the Hostelling International Youth Hostel.
0.3 MILES
This recently overhauled waterfront aquarium provides an excellent introduction to the cold offshore world in the South Atlantic Ocean. Most impressive is…
0.32 MILES
This imposing baroque-style building was constructed in 1906 to serve as a hotel. Its rather outlandish decor is crowned by a fibreglass cast of Atlas…
6. Deutsche-Afrika Bank Building
0.32 MILES
Swakopmund brims with numerous historic examples of traditional German architecture. The handsome neo-classical Deutsche-Afrika Bank Building was opened…
7. Kaiserliches Bezirksgericht (State House)
0.38 MILES
This rather stately building was constructed in 1902 to serve as the district magistrates’ court. It was extended in 1905, and again in 1945 when a tower…
0.38 MILES
When ill winds blow, head for this museum at the foot of the lighthouse, where you can hole up and learn about the town's history. The museum occupies the…