The Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

is situated on the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

shore, Table Bay Harbour, the City of Cape Town and

Table Mountain Table Mountain ( naq, Huriǂoaxa, lit= sea-emerging; af, Tafelberg) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the ...

. Adrian van der Vyver designed the complex. Situated in South Africa's oldest working harbour, the area has been developed for mixed-use, with both residential and commercial real estate. The Waterfront attracts more than 23 million visitors a year.

History

Prince Alfred, second son of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

, visited the Cape Colony harbour in 1860 as a sixteen-year-old Royal Navy Midshipman on HMS ''Euryalus''. He made a big splash with the colonials on this first-ever visit by a member of the

Royal Family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term pa ...

. The first basin of the new Navy Yard was named after him and the second after his mother. On the 25 August 1998 the Planet Hollywood bombing took place at the (now closed) Planet Hollywood restaurant within the V&A killing 2 people and injuring 26 more.

Outlets

The complex houses over 450 retail outlets, including fashion, homeware and curios, jewellery, shopping, grocery stores, restaurants, a Ster-Kinekor cinema, leather goods and audio-visual equipment. The V&A Waterfront is also still a working harbour and fishing boats bring in fresh fish, and larger container ships are towed in by tugboats.

Developments

The Waterfront has seen development in its new Silo district, which currently houses the new headquarters of Allan Gray Investment Management at Silo 1 and apartments at Silo 2. The project was completed in 2017 with a Virgin Active gym, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, and the adjoining ultra-luxury Silo Hotel./

Features in the waterfront

Chavonnes Battery The Chavonnes Battery was a fortification protecting Cape Town, South Africa, built in the early 18th century. It is now a museum and function venue. History The battery was one of the coastal fortifications of the Cape Peninsula linked to the C ...

* Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island *

Nobel Square Nobel Square is a public square in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront neighborhood of Cape Town, South Africa. It opened in December 2005 and includes sculptures of the country's four Nobel Peace Prize winners, Albert Lutuli, Desmond Tutu, F. W. d ...

Two Oceans Aquarium The Two Oceans Aquarium is an aquarium located at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. The aquarium was opened on the 13 November 1995 and comprises several exhibition galleries with large viewing windows ...

* Breakwater Lodge (

University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business The Graduate School of Business (GSB) is the business school of the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa's oldest university. The School's programme includes the Masters in Business Administration (MBA), the Executive MBA, and the Postg ...

) * Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa *

SAS Somerset SAS ''Somerset'' was a Bar-class boom defence vessel of the South African Navy, now preserved as a museum ship in Cape Town. Formerly HMS ''Barcross'', it operated in Saldanha Bay, transferred to South Africa Naval Forces during World War II and ...

Gallery

File:Lighthouse & Swing Bridge V&A Waterfront CT jeh.jpg, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Swing Bridge File:Two Oceans Aquarium CT jeh.jpg, The Two Oceans Aquarium File:Cape Town Waterfront.jpg, Cape Town Waterfront harbour File:Victoria & Alfred Hotel, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town (01).jpg, Victoria & Alfred Hotel at V&A Waterfront File:Boat running next to Waterway House.jpg, A boat near the Waterway House File:The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa.jpg, The Zeits Mocca and Radisson Red Hotel

References

External links

Official web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Victoria and Alfred Waterfront Redeveloped ports and waterfronts Shopping districts and streets in South Africa Maritime history of South Africa Suburbs of Cape Town Tourist attractions in Cape Town Time balls