Windhoek

Windhoek is the capital of the Republic of Namibia, founded by German missionaries. It is in the middle of the country, at an altitude of about 1650 meters. The name of the town is derived from Winterhoek, the farm where Nama leader Jonker Afrikaner was born.

Windhoek is traditionally known for its hot springs. Nama's called the place Ai-Gams and Hereros called it Otjomuise. Both names refer to the hot springs.
The current Windhoek was founded on October 18, 1890 when Von Francois laid the foundation of the fort (Alte Feste). Since 1891, Windhoek has been the capital of the country. Until the early 20th century, the place developed slowly, with only much needed buildings for the administration of the colony. After 1907 the city developed rapidly. From home and abroad, they came to town. Mainly from Germany and South Africa people immigrated to Windhoek.

Today the centre is a strange mixture of German colonial buildings and modern buildings painted in bright pastel colours. Remarkable is the Christ Lutheran Church in Art Nouveau style. Nearby is the current parliament, the Tintenpalast. A museum with the colonial history as its theme, is also nearby. The museum is housed in the old colonial fort that the Germans left, the Alte Feste.

A visit to the station is nice. This was commissioned by the South Africans to be designed by a Dutch architect. The building therefore looks a bit like the old railway stations in the Netherlands still found everywhere.