The Company's Garden was laid out by Cape Town's founding father Jan van Riebeeck on order of the Dutch-East India Trading Company to secure the provisioning of the colonists with vegetables. Today the Company's Garden is a large public park and botanical garden. Particularly in summer, when the heat is trapped in the streets of the city, a stroll through the lush gardens is really refreshing.
Whilst in the Company's Garden, you can explore the South African Museum with Planetarium, the National Gallery, the Jewish Mueum and the Parliament, where South Africa's politicians meet during the summer months. Cape Town and Pretoria share the role of national capitals. At the bottom end of the park stands the Anglican St. Georges Cathedral and next to it, the South African Library. Company's Garden has a coffeeshop/restaurant in the shade of big exotic trees. Often on weekends, open-air concerts - jazz or African music - are held here.
Right top and left: Company's Garden. Numerous fountains make a walk through the extended park a real refreshment. Right bottom: The South African National Gallery.