If you are in downtown Swakopmund, the following places are must-visits:
Swakopmund Museum
The mine tour that we signed up for was supposed to start at the Swakopmund Museum. We had to collect the tickets that we reserved from their reception office and the bus that would take us to Rössing Mine would pick us up at their parking lot. Naturally, we decided to check-out this museum.
The Swakopmund Museum is the largest privately-funded museum in Namibia, established by Dr. Alfons Weber, a dentist in 1951. It is not very big, but it is well-rounded. On display are preserved plants and stuffed animals, all indigenous to the region. There are also sections featuring rocks and minerals, local archeology, old transportation systems used in the city, and several cultural artifacts.
I wondered why a dentist would initiate something like this, as opening a museum is not exactly directly related to his professional practice. Apparently, this was because he won a competition organized by the Swakopmund municipal government to submit ideas on how to make their town more attractive to visitors, apart from the ones who go there in the summer months for a holiday. He proposed the establishment of a museum.
Dr. Weber, who moved to Swakopmund in 1931 from Munich, Germany, used to travel by train to other areas of Namibia (then South West Africa) to attend to other patients outside his small practice in town. He developed an interest in the culture of his new home country and started collecting cultural artifacts like books, maps, tools, household items, and the like. Some were handcrafted by Indigenous inhabitants, while some came from the German colonial areas. His collection grew and by 1951, with the founding of the museum, these items were exhibited in an old wooden shed until they got some financial assistance from the municipality, the state, and private donors. They rebuilt the ruined Imperial Customs Building and housed his collection there.
Dominating the displays are dioramas depicting the contrasting life of the dry, Namib Desert and the rich aquatic life in the Atlantic Ocean. They feature wild game - from elephants, zebras, and antelopes - to the seals of Cape Cross, and the birds of the coastal regions.
The mineral display focuses on specimens obtained from nearby Tsumeb Mine, while the historical section depicts life during the German colonial period, including original furniture from the old Adler Pharmacy and equipment from Dr. Weber’s old dental clinic.
At the transportation section, one will find an original ox-wagon that was used a century ago on the route between Grootfontein and southern Angola. There was also the carriage of the last German governor, a beautiful model of a dual locomotive. In another section, one could admire the culture of Namibia’s indigenous peoples through the collection of musical instruments, wood carvings, weapons, and domestic utensils on display.
And of course, there was a Rössing Room, a sort of a preview to the mine we were going to visit - the Rössing Uranium Mine. The exhibit features information on its mining operations. Beside the museum is a small pub and café sponsored by Namibia Breweries.
The Mole
The entrance to the Swakopmund Museum faces the Atlantic Ocean and The Mole, a popular swimming beach. We had seen everything we could inside the museum and still had some time to spare, so we checked out the beach.
The Mole is also called Swakopmund’s “Main Beach.” In the peak season, it is packed with families and friends having some “fun-in-the-sun.” It is a perfect place to chill, take a walk, or have a picnic. That day, there were a few families hanging out and some kids frolicking in the play area, but it was far from crowded.
This well-known landmark is situated at the exact spot where Swakopmund was founded by the commander of the German armed forces in 1842. The Germans attempted to create a seawall and establish a harbour as a mooring place for their ships and large cargo vessels. But they were not familiar with the Benguela Current, which sweeps northwards along the coast, carrying with it loads of sand from the southern deserts. Within less than five years, the harbour entrance was choked off by a sand bank. Then two years later, the harbour itself had been invaded by sand to create what is now called Palm Beach. Now, The Mole is also used as a mooring for smaller pleasure boats.
We strolled along the beach, enjoying the sun and the breeze. I looked out at the Atlantic Ocean and I couldn’t believe I was looking at it from a different continent. The last time I faced it was during our trip to the Canadian Maritime provinces in the fall, when the waters were tempestuous on some days. But on that summer day in Namibia, the waves were calm. I even took off my shoes to wade in the water for a bit and to feel the sand under my feet.
The Jetty
From our vantage point, we could see The Jetty jutting out of the pier.
Its first construction was between 1904 and 1905 in response to the failings of The Mole, which had proven to be a very unsuitable harbour. The Jetty, then made of wood, became the new loading and off-loading platform for cargo ships. However, it was soon battered by the high seas. The harsh climate of the Atlantic coast, with the floods, spring tides, and winds, proved to be too much. In addition, woodworms also attacked it.
So, in 1912, it was rebuilt, this time, out of steel. However, war broke out before it was finished, and after the war, it was never completed because the South African forces that occupied Swakopmund already controlled Walvis Bay, also a harbour, and The Jetty became redundant. The remnants of the old wooden jetty were removed in 1916, while the steel one was left to the elements.
For a time, the structure was used as a hotspot for fishing among the locals, but by 1983, it was deemed dangerous and thus, closed to the public. A massive fundraising campaign was launched, and in 2005, the construction of a new jetty began. The Town Council took charge of maintaining it. In 2010, it was again refurbished and upgraded. They also built a restaurant at its edge called, The Jetty 1905, which we heard, served very good seafood, but we did not get the chance to visit it.
The Lighthouse
Another prominent landmark of Namibia that is a stone’s throw away from The Mole and standing in the gardens behind the Swakopmund Museum is The Lighthouse.
This still-operational lighthouse was constructed in 1902 and was built 11 meters high that time, but another 10 meters was added in 1910 to reach a total height of 28 meters. Standing proudly, in colonial-style red and white stripes and with the lower portion in unpainted brick, the lighthouse overlooks the coast and silently declares its resilience to the ebb and flow of the powerful Atlantic Ocean.
Today, this structure continues to safeguard the area, warning ships off the treacherous Skeleton Coast, its beacon reaching 35 nautical miles, and its mighty spotlight winking at the Atlantic Ocean twice every ten seconds. Its façade proudly displays the town’s coat of arms, and the buildings at its foot, formerly used as a storeroom and a dwelling for the lighthouse keepers, were expanded over the years and transformed into a cozy restaurant.
Photo Credits:
info-namibia.com, erongo.com.na, namibia-accommodation.com, Daniel Kraft (Wikimedia), SqueakyMarmot/Mike (Wikimedia), museums.com.na, The Lighthouse Restaurant Facebook page
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