Cape Town is a city of culture, It's a place where old and new harmoniously converge, built on a history that reflects in the architecture, cuisine, music and dance. The architecture reflects the mixed history of the city and there are many galleries and museums offering a range of insights into the South African culture and history. City of poets and poetry, and home to artists and performers of every description, Cape Town is indeed the erudite heart of South Africa. It is also a city warmly receiving those who seek to be inspired by her artistic wealth, offering a diverse range of these genres to be experienced and savoured - in historic or exhilaratingly modern galleries, open-air amphitheatres, concert halls and cinemas.
The South African National Gallery hosts regular exhibitions ranging from contemporary African photography to globally-acclaimed artists. Festivals of the arts occur every summer at leading winelands destinations, while the Cape's "Secret Season" - over the cosy mid-year winter months - offers many a day's entertainment. Cape Town, her fascinating history spanning back to the mid-17th century, offers a myriad museums and places of cultural interest to visit, scattered across the Peninsula. From tours of the townships, a ferry trip to Robben island and a wander through the District Six Museum, to a sojourn around the Castle of Good Hope or the Cultural History Museum.
The Nico Malan Theatre Centre, a huge theatre complex on the foreshore, is the hub for performing arts and other cultural activities in Cape Town. Exciting indigenous Afrocentric productions bring a whole new vista to Cape Town's cultural scene and have helped make the Nico a vital part of the city's cultural landscape. Cape Town City Ballet and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the city's theatre and opera companies, perform here.