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The Portuguese explorer, Bartolomeu Dias, was first known to set foot in the Luderitz area in 1487. Eventually the town was established in 1883 by German settlers. A couple of decades later, diamonds were discovered in the area, Kolmanskop was established, and Luderitz prospered.

After WWI many Germans were deported when South Africa took over. Diamond mining moved further south, leaving smaller industries like fishing.

Today the town is steadily developing and increasing its tourism appeal.

With a couple of days I was able to explore the main sights of the city, including neighboring Kolmanskop.

Coming from Swakopmund, I had an early drive in the morning to arrive in Windhoek and catch my Air Namibia flight to Luderitz. After a bit of a rough landing, we arrived in one of the smallest airports I’ve ever seen.

I stayed at the best hotel of the city, the Luderitz Nest. From there I based my explorations of the town, one day on foot and one day by car with Ulf Grunewald a Luderitz expert and GM of the hotel.

Colonial Buildings

Felsenkirche, the gothic style church fully imported from Germany including the stained glass was opened in 1912 and declared a national monument in 1978. Other colonial buildings that were declared national monuments include the Deutsche Afrika Bank building (1907), Glück Auf building (1908), Goerkehaus (1911), Kreplinhaus (1909), the Krabbenhöft & Lampe building (1909) and the Lüderitz Railway Station (1904). They were all well restored and preserved.

There are also modern buildings and the Luderitz Museum.

Waterfront

The waterfront area has been revitalized which now has a shopping area with restaurants and offices near the jetty. A small market is laid out in the square next to the popular children’s playground.

Further down the coast, the old power plant is currently being rebuilt as a modern shopping mall, university and maritime museum. I heard the original German steel roof from almost a century ago was going to be replaced, but then after testing they found the German steel was stronger than the current steel procured from Namibia! So the roof structure will be left as is.

Shark Island

In 1905, during the Herero and Namaqua Genocide, a concentration camp was established on Shark Island where 1,000 – 3,000 tribals were killed. Despite its horrific past, today it is a campground with great viewpoints over the bay.

Apparently, when the British declared they would annex every island on the coast, the Germans filled in the gap overnight to turn Shark Island into a peninsula to protect its status. There are also luxury properties lining the coast of the peninsula.

Suburbs of Luderitz

We drove through the suburbs of the city which were originally separated by race, so there were black, colored, and white neighborhoods. There was also a shantytown which we didn’t venture into.

Ulf who is a part of the Rotary Club has developed several community projects such as schools, playgrounds, and creating businesses for people. In one example, they purchased a container full of bicycle parts and gear then created three jobs for people to repair bicycles. Their workshop was right outside of the container and now that suburb has a bicycle repair shop.

Diaz Point

The rocky point of Diaz is where the explorer originally landed and planted a cross. A modern cross has been installed as a marker. The viewpoint offers beautiful coastal landscapes, seals basking in the sun, and a lighthouse on the hill. We stopped at the small cafe for coffee and cake before continuing.

On the road to the point, we passed by the black rocks and a penguin colony on an island.

Near the main road is the lagoon where the Lüderitz Speed Challenge takes place. The world speed record was made here.

Then we returned to the hotel.

Luderitz is a quaint but developing town with many sights to see nearby including Kolmanskop. Spend a couple of days to tour the area and see the unique culture, landscapes, and attractions.