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Windhoek is Namibia’s capital city and lies in the heart of the central highlands in an airy basin surrounded by rolling mountains and magnificent vistas. It has a combination of innovative modern constructions and old German colonial buildings.
The city centre is characterised by historic German colonial architecture and imposing modern structures. Dominating the skyline is the striking German Lutheran church, Christuskirche, a mixture of Art Nouveau and neo-Gothic design, and the Titenpalast, or ‘Ink Palace’, the parliament building from where the sparsely populated country is governed. The railway station is a Cape Dutch edifice dating back to 1912 and Independence Avenue is a pleasant tree-lined place with fountains and walkways providing a relaxing ambience among the modern buildings of the central business district. The women of the Herero tribe, cattle herders of the region, are very distinctive with their voluminous Victorian-style dresses and colourful headgear.
The German influence is not only apparent in the architecture and colonial style buildings, but is evident in the food and locally brewed beer. Polony and sauerkraut are available on the menu among local dishes, including seafood from the west coast and venison or game steaks from the hinterland.
Between December and February it gets quite hot, but due to its high altitude, humidity is low and nights are pleasantly cooled by a light breeze. It does rain in summer but the evaporation rate is extremely high so it does not stay damp for long. Winters can get very cold at night with some frost in low lying areas, but the days are warm, sunny and cloudless.
