Namibia — Walking Swakopmund

While Swakopmund may be famous for it’s German vibe, to Namibians it’s the beaches that are the bigt draw. We could see a beach in the distance, and we would later drive alongside the beach on our way back to Walvis Bay to rejoin the NCL Dawn. But Ursula’s primary reason for wanting to see Swakopmund was the 19th century German architecture and the German flavor of the shops, cafés, bakeries, and restaurants.

Want an example of the 19th century German architecture that you’ll find here? It doesn’t get much more Bavarian looking than this place:

German history is on display here in Swakopmund, as well. Ever hear of the Herero Wars? I hadn’t. The German colony experienced an uprising of the indigenous Herero and Nama peoples in a conflict that raged from 1904 to 1908. In Swakopmund you’ll find a memorial to the Marine Expeditiary Corps of the Imperial Schutztruppe who died during the initial stages of the uprising. This is a portion of Swakopmund’s Marine Memorial:

In case you’re wondering what make-model of rifle is depicted in that image above, tune in to this week’s Fun Photo Friday and I’ll identify it for you. Meanwhile, let’s look at a reminder that Swakopmund was established as a port city:

I’ll finish up today with this photo gallery/slide show of Swakopmund sights:

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)