Picturesque Cape Town is South Africa’s definitive centre of arts and culture. A city of poets, writers, artists and performers, Cape Town is at the same time refined and eclectic – an intoxicating blend for those lovers of the arts. While you may wish to explore this vibrant city on your own, tailor made holidays to Cape Town will ensure you don’t miss any of its hidden cultural gems.
Cape Towns Galleries
Having emerged from a tumultuous and sometimes difficult history, Cape Town’s arts scene is a diverse blend of contemporary and traditional. The galleries of the city showcase work from both local and globally established artists, in mediums as diverse as photography and performance art. Perhaps the best known gallery in the country, the South African National Gallery’s collection houses a permanent exhibition of paintings, textiles, photography, jewellery and sculptures. The exhibits tell the story of South Africa’s artistic evolution, as well as many valuable acclaimed international pieces from around the world.
If history fascinates you, make sure a visit to the Rust en Vreugd museum is on the itinerary of your tailor made holidays. Cape Town has a rich colonial heritage and this museum is one of the finest examples of eighteenth century architecture in the country. As well as housing some important watercolours and etchings depicting South Africa’s colourful past, the house and gardens themselves are a superb and elegant reminder of days gone by.
For a venue with a very different feel, a visit to the District Six Museum is more an experience than simply a display. The museum is an homage to the events surrounding the history of District Six; Cape Town’s original settlement for artisans, merchants, freed slaves and immigrants. Between the 1950’s and 1982, many of its original settlers were forcibly removed and resettled in outlying areas. The museum graphically describes the story of the residents’ struggle against the marginalisation of the time.
Enjoying Cape Town’s Performing Arts
As well as having a fantastic array of galleries and museums, inclusions to Cape Town’s cultural events and attractions can be built into tailor made holidays. Cape Town has a vibrant contemporary dance and music scene and a fantastic selection of live theatre venues. Artscape, on the city’s foreshore, is home to Cape Town’s acclaimed Philharmonic Orchestra, and concerts and recitals are well attended by locals and visitors. Because of the temperate climate, open air shows are also a popular occurrence in and around the city centre. Anything from full scale productions of classics such as Anthony and Cleopatra, to intimate performances of contemporary ballet shows are presented at various locations around Cape Town. The Maynardville Open Air Theatre, probably Cape Town’s premier open air venue, has been entertaining the city since its first production in 1956.
If a night at the opera is high on the agenda for your tailor made holidays, Cape Town will not disappoint. There is nothing more magical after a day spent exploring the sights of this richly historic city than attending an emotive, word class performance of the opera world’s greatest composers. Puccini, Beethoven, Verdi et al, all take their turn under the guise of South Africa’s unique musical craftsmen and women.
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