Running down the middle of what is today the city's Central Business District is Adderley Street, the modern thoroughfare which replaced the old Heerengracht or 'Gentleman's Walk', a simple road stretching along the banks of the canal that linked the Dutch settlement to the docks on Table Bay. This conglomeration of Dutch and Victorian architecture, interspersed with modern wonders of glass and concrete, is the heart of Cape Town, and on either side of Adderley Street is an eclectic array of sightseeing highlights and urban attractions that endows the Mother City with its unique flavour.

Named in 1849 for Charles Adderley, the British politician who thwarted attempts by the crown to turn the Cape into a convict station, Adderley Street, the upper half of the Heerengracht, is the city centre's main concourse and forms the heart of Cape Town.

Along its busy pavements are shops and businesses of every description, as well as the inimitable flower sellers and street vendors who add both colour and life to the business district.

The Groote Kerk, overlooking both Church Square and upper Adderley Street is the Mother Church of the Dutch Reformed Church (NGK) and dates back to 1700, when the Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel laid the foundations for the new church. The Groote Kerk is noted for its fine architectural and sculptural features, particularly the extraordinary pulpit, which rests on a pedestal of lions, and was carved by sculptors Anton Anreith and Jan Graaff in 1789.

The Cultural History Museum provides visitors with some insight into just a few of the peoples who lived at the Cape during the period of the early settlement

A long line of old oak trees separates tranquil Government Avenue from the stately Houses of Parliament, Tuynhuys, the Cultural History Museum and the South African National Gallery, making the leafy pedestrian boulevard a favourite both for lunchtime office workers and the grey squirrels brought to the colony from North American by Cecil John Rhodes. Along the length of the avenue lie the six acres of Company's Garden, originally laid out in 1652 by Jan van Riebeek and his gardener Hendrik Boom. The garden's original purpose was as a vegetable garden to provide fresh supplies to the ships of the Dutch East India Company when they called at the Cape. Today the garden is home to a magnificent array of both indigenous and exotic vegetation.

Running down the middle of what is today the city's Central Business District is Adderley Street, the modern thoroughfare which replaced the old Heerengracht or 'Gentleman's Walk', a simple road stretching along the banks of the canal that linked the Dutch settlement to the docks on Table Bay. This conglomeration of Dutch and Victorian architecture, interspersed with modern wonders of glass and concrete, is the heart of Cape Town, and on either side of Adderley Street is an eclectic array of sightseeing highlights and urban attractions that endows the Mother City with its unique flavour.

Named in 1849 for Charles Adderley, the British politician who thwarted attempts by the crown to turn the Cape into a convict station, Adderley Street, the upper half of the Heerengracht, is the city centre's main concourse and forms the heart of Cape Town.

Along its busy pavements are shops and businesses of every description, as well as the inimitable flower sellers and street vendors who add both colour and life to the business district.

The Groote Kerk, overlooking both Church Square and upper Adderley Street is the Mother Church of the Dutch Reformed Church (NGK) and dates back to 1700, when the Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel laid the foundations for the new church. The Groote Kerk is noted for its fine architectural and sculptural features, particularly the extraordinary pulpit, which rests on a pedestal of lions, and was carved by sculptors Anton Anreith and Jan Graaff in 1789.

The Cultural History Museum provides visitors with some insight into just a few of the peoples who lived at the Cape during the period of the early settlement

A long line of old oak trees separates tranquil Government Avenue from the stately Houses of Parliament, Tuynhuys, the Cultural History Museum and the South African National Gallery, making the leafy pedestrian boulevard a favourite both for lunchtime office workers and the grey squirrels brought to the colony from North American by Cecil John Rhodes. Along the length of the avenue lie the six acres of Company's Garden, originally laid out in 1652 by Jan van Riebeek and his gardener Hendrik Boom. The garden's original purpose was as a vegetable garden to provide fresh supplies to the ships of the Dutch East India Company when they called at the Cape. Today the garden is home to a magnificent array of both indigenous and exotic vegetation.

The South African National Gallery is also on Government Avenue and is one of the highlights of a visit to Cape Town. The gallery exhibits South African painting, sculpture and crafts, as well as 17th century Italian masters and contemporary photography. The gallery's permanent collection contains over 6 000 works of art, many of them bequeathed by Sir Abe Bailey, a local politician and businessman. Facing onto Queen Victoria Street by an equestrian statue commemorating the fallen hero's of both world wars, the South African Museum is the country's oldest and most revered museum. Founded in 1825, the museum is today a repository of the cultural and natural heritage of South Africa .

The South Africa Museum also houses the Planetarium. This fascinating look into the night skies of the southern hemisphere is incredibly popular and one should book prior to a visit. Some of the features include a look at changing constellations of the past, present and future, covering more than 25 000 years.

At the top of Government Avenue is Orange Street, where one will encounter the Mount Nelson Hotel, one of the finest hotels the city has to offer. "The Nellie", as it is fondly referred to by the locals, has played host to royalty, movie stars, statesman and politicians. If you are feeling decadent, a visit for the afternoon tea or lunch lunches is a must, however, it is very expensive.

The Gardens area and its immediate surrounds have in recent times become a mecca for highly acclaimed restaurants and bistros that have sprung up in the old residential homes.

At the lower end of Buitenkant Street stands the imposing Castle of Good Hope, the oldest surviving, and occupied, building in South Africa . Built between 1666 and 1679, this pentagonal fortification, with its stately gateway, was constructed out of timber brought from Hout Bay, stone quarried on Robben Island and lime burnt from seashells. Overlooking the city's Grand Parade, the site of Jan van Riebeek's original fort, the Castle services primarily as a museum and the headquarters of the South African National Defence Force's Western Province Command. Within its fortified walls are both the Good Hope Gallery and the Military Museum, housing an array of military artefacts and uniforms covering both the Dutch and British periods of occupation.

The Grand Parade was once a military parade ground, but is now the site of the country's oldest market. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings, the car park is transformed into a trading emporium, carrying goods such as books, clothes, bric-a-brac and fabrics of every description. The Grand Parade is also home to fruit and vegetable vendors and stalls purveying fast foods, including the traditional Cape Malay delicacies. It was on the Grand Parade in 1990 that 250 000 supporters gathered to welcome Nelson Mandela after his release from 27 years in prison. Another of Cape Town's better known trade markets is Greenmarket Square. This square lies at the intersection of Longmarket and Burg Streets. The square at the heart of the city's business district started out as a market in 1710, a place where fruit and vegetable growers marketed their wares. Today the quaint square has returned to its original use, and is filled everyday with funky market stalls carrying virtually anything from clothing, curios, collectables, jewellery, books and leatherware. You will also find yourself entertained by the many colourful characters of the Cape.

Fronting the small square are some very attractive buildings, including the Baroque face of the Old Town House and the beautiful old Methodist Church, built in 1871. Home to the city's first police force, the Old Town House, erected in the late 1750's, houses under its dome the famed Michaelis Art Collection of outstanding Dutch and Flemish masters of the 17th century, and chamber concerts are held here on Friday evenings. The Gothic Revival style of the Metropolitan Methodist Church, with its ornate entrance on Burg Street, is a Victorian masterpiece designed by Charles Freeman.

For the antique enthusiast, the quaint pedestrian mall of Church and Berg Streets may offer a rare find. The genuine items are more often than not to be found within the church itself, while the pavements of Church, Burg and Long streets are packed with all sorts from years gone by.

The famous Long Street, known throughout the city for its magnificent old edifices and charming bookshops, is over 300 years old and reflects the allure of a bygone era. Long Street's architectural melting-pot includes Georgina, Cape Malay, Art Nouveau and 20th century styles. Some of the most striking buildings are the splendid Victorian structures, with their filigreed ornamentation. A fine example is the exquisite Blue Lodge, the only remaining Victorian corner building in the city, styled by Max Rosenberg to accommodate his boarding house.

The Palm Tree Mosque at number 185 was converted into a mosque in 1807 by Jan van Boughies, himself a slave who had been granted his freedom.

Further up is the Long Street Baths, comprising a swimming pool, Turkish baths and steam rooms for either men or woman.

Behind the doors of the 1804 church near the corner of Hout and Long Streets is the Missionary Meeting House Museum, which chronicles the Sendinggestig, established in the early 19th century by evangelists from the London and Netherlands missionary societies to bring Christianity to the slaves. The building contains a fine pulpit, pipe organ and displays on the history of missionary work at the Cape.

The vibrant and bustling pedestrian concourse of St George's Mall is a hive of lively activity as street musicians provide informal entertainment, and vendors ply their trade. At the top of the mall, on the other side of Wale Street, is the Gothic St George's Cathedra, built on the site of the original cathedral consecrated in 1848, and replace in 1897 by the new design of Sir Herbert Baker and Francis Massey. This is the home congregation of Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu, the former Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town. The awe-inspiring cathedral boasts the lovely stained-glass Rose Window by Francis Spear.

Behind the cathedral is the South African Library. Modelled on the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge University, the dazzling white building houses important reference works, including priceless Africana and original manuscripts.

Back down to Wale Street, at number 71 is the Bo-Kaap Museum. Also affiliated to the Cultural History Museum, the building dates back to 1760 and was once owned by Abu Bakr Effendi, a scholar who published one of the first books in Afrikaans. The house is furnished in the style of a 19th century Muslim home, with a collection of photographs and personal effects. The museum is also the starting point for walking tours of the fascinating and historically rich Bo-Kaap district. The area known today as the Foreshore rests on what was once the beach and waters of Table Bay. In order to make way for the ever-expanding city, a considerable expanse of land was reclaimed from the sea in the late 1930's and early 1940's. Reclamation allowed the city to stretch from the City Bowl, the area built at the foot of Table Mountain and enclosed by Lion's Head, Signal Hill and Devil's Peak all the way to the new harbour, nearly two kilometres from its original shoreline.

Down the centre of the Foreshore runs the Heerengracht, a bustling avenue lined with towering office blocks, and dotted with fountains and statues of our founding fathers as well as the War memorial, dedicated to South Africans who fell in both world wars.

Probably the most renowned building on the Foreshore, is the Nico Theatre Centre on DF Malan Street. Erected in the late 1960's, the Nico was opened in 1971 and remains the city's most important cultural centre, with an opera house and theatre, as well as home to the Cape Town Philharmonic and the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB), the Nico stages an array of local talent in ballet, opera, musical and dramatic productions.

The Cape Town Tourism information office is housed in the Pinnacle Building on the corner of Burg and Castle streets, just off the buzzing Greenmarket Square in central Cape Town.