Luderitz, Namibia: colourful hamlet in a windswept landscape

29/5/2019

Luderitz things to do: see old buildings

By Roxanne Reid
Luderitz, Namibia, is wedged between the Namib Desert and the icy Atlantic, a colourful hamlet in a windswept landscape. To get there you must drive 340km from Keetmanshoop on a straight road that takes you through forbidden diamond territory. When you crest the last dune, the town appears out of a barren landscape like a mirage, as misplaced as any tiny German hamlet could be.

As you enter town on the B4, you’ll pass naked whitish-grey sand dunes on the outskirts then a whole lot of dark, volcanic rock. It’s bleak enough to be the aftermath of a radioactive bomb blast. Not for Luderitz those rich red sand dunes that make Sossusvlei so photogenic. And it always seems to be furnace hot here, or with a ferocious wind pumping off the sea and careening down the streets, kicking up dust and sending litter skittering.

I have to confess that Luderitz isn’t one of my favourite places in Namibia, but it’s definitely worth a trip if you’ve never been before – especially if you take in the ghost town of Kolmanskop and the wild horses of the Namib at Aus along the way.

Look for the wild horses near Aus, about halfway between Keetmanshoop and Luderitz

Luderitz was founded in 1883 by German trader Adolf Lüderitz. Its early days were all about trading, fishing and harvesting bird guano from the rocks. Then in 1908 diamonds were discovered nearby at Kolmanskop (see ‘things to do’ below) so business in Luderitz boomed and its German population doubled between 1908 and 1910. This was the golden age for buildings and ‘diamond palaces’ in Luderitz. Later, after the boom went bust, Luderitz returned to being a dozy little town of fishing boats and wind and dust. If it has any appeal at all, it’s that little has changed since the early 20th century.

Things to do in Luderitz
Kolmanskop ghost town

Kolmanskop ghost town

The main attraction in the area is to visit Kolmanskop ghost town 10km to the east. Kolmanskop was a bustling diamond town in the early 1900s. But in 1927 better finds were discovered elsewhere, the town declined and most families moved away by the 1930s, the last stragglers in the 1950s. Kolmanskop started to lose the battle against the encroaching desert sand. You can read all about it in my blog post Kolmanskop: why to visit Namibia’s ghost town. If it weren’t for this fabulously atmospheric and photogenic place, which exerts a hypnotic pull, I’d probably not have visited Luderitz more than once.

Desert sand is slowly reclaiming abandoned buildings at Kolmanskop

Early 20th century architecture
Explore Luderitz’s early 20th century Germanic architecture. The town is a strange mixture of lovely, well-restored German-style buildings from the diamond-rush days of the early 1900s, some old, sad and very bedraggled buildings from the same period, and quite a lot of ugly, scruffy buildings with no style at all. The old power station looks like something from a bombed town, derelict, windows broken.

Goerke House

The four-level Goerke House is a rather imposing ‘diamond palace’. It was built into the rock in 1910 for German diamond mine inspector Hans Goerke. Later used as a magistrate’s residence and declared a national monument in 1975, it’s now owned by Namdeb Diamond Corporation and used as a guesthouse for visiting VIPs. It’s open for guided tours between 14:00 and 16:00 on weekdays and from 16:00 to 17:00 on weekends. I believe the sumptuous Art Nouveau interior is worth seeing, but in three visits to Luderitz I haven’t managed to get inside.

Felsenkirche, or the church on a rock

Next door to Goerke House, an austere skinny church looms against the skyline. This is the Evangelical Lutheran Church – best known as the Felsenkirche (church on a rock) because of its position on the granite outcrop called Diamantberg. Although it has Victorian Gothic influences, its Germanic roots are clear from the stained-glass panel above the altar, which Kaiser Wilhelm II donated. The church was finished in 1912 when just over 1000 Germans were living in Luderitz. Now a national monument, it’s only open for an hour before sunset each day, but it’s worth visiting the site for its view over Luderitz and the bay beyond.

German colonial architecture in Luderitz

Old buildings along a dusty street

Take a walk along Bismark Street to look at some of the other early 20th century German colonial buildings, like the station building which is still in its original state, the Deutsche Africa Bank building, and the Krabbenhöft & Lampe building which today houses self-catering apartments you can rent. Look out for Woermann Haus and Rudikerhaus on Main Road near the Waterfront.

Another old building showing German colonial influence

Shark Island
Nowadays, Shark Island is a campsite that gives views back towards the town and out to sea. You’ll need to pay a small entrance fee to visit the site even if you’re not camping there. A lone monument to local leader Cornelius Fredericks who died here hints at its dark history as a ‘death island’. (The names of Germans who died are etched into a much bigger wall.)

Monument to local leader Cornelius Fredericks at Shark Island

Back in the early 20th century, the German empire used Shark Island as a concentration camp during the Herero and Nama wars of 1904-1908. Some 3000 men, women and children died here in unspeakable conditions. Chances are that when you visit, you’ll experience the icy winds that blow full force across the little peninsula – and that was only one of their problems. Forced labour, too little food, uncontrolled spread of disease, beatings and even rape were some of the others. Small wonder that only about 20% of those who arrived ever left.

Shark Island campsite

Fishing and sailing
Luderitz has one of the best harbours on Namibia’s inhospitable coastline, so the fishing industry adds a rugged, salty flavour to the town. It’s not surprising, then, that fishing and sailing charters are popular activities, for instance to Halifax Island to see African penguins. Charters leave from the Waterfront, where tourists enjoy the shops and restaurants.

Luderitz harbour

Diaz Point and wildlife
Take a drive to Diaz Point – where Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Diaz planted a cross in 1488 – for a chance to see seals, penguins, flamingos and dolphins, and listen to the thundering of the ocean.

African penguins

Other things to do in Luderitz include a drive to Agate Beach 8km north of town for a beach walk if you don’t mind being windswept; the Atlantic waters are too cold for comfortable swimming. Or join a tour into the Sperrgebiet National Park for a chance to see the 55m high Bogenfels rock arch that plunges straight into the sea. Note that you’re not allowed into the Sperrgebiet (forbidden diamond territory) on your own or without a special permit.

As for Luderitz restaurants, you won’t find fine dining but you will find a number of places offering satisfying plates of fresh seafood, steak and good Namibian beer.

Luderitz accommodation
Although it’s a small town, there’s quite a choice when it comes to Luderitz accommodation – from camping and self-catering to B&Bs and hotels. The Luderitz Nest Hotel has great sea views, but comes at a price. For a cheaper alternative still with a sea view, try The Cormorant House. Alte Villa guesthouse is a smaller, more personal guesthouse for those who don’t like big hotels. See Afristay or Booking.com for rates and bookings.

The lighthouse next to Shark Island campsite

For Luderitz camping, of course, there’s the campsite at Shark Island Luderitz (or you can stay in rooms in the lighthouse next door).

If you prefer not to stay in town and don’t mind driving 120km to visit Kolmanskop and Luderitz for the day, I can recommend the rustic campsite (no power points) at Desert Horse Campsite at Klein Aus Vista, near where you may also see Namibia’s wild horses. That’s exactly what we did the last time we visited Luderitz.

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