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Mossel Bay | ||
province | Western Cape | |
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Residents | 59.031 (2011) | |
height | 43 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata: ![]() | ||
location | ||
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Mossel Bay is a city in the Garden Route in the Western Cape Province in South Africa.
![](https://maps.wikimedia.org/img/osm-intl,14,-34.18194,22.13389,302x300.png?lang=de&domain=de.wikivoyage.org&title=Mossel Bay&groups=Maske,Track,Aktivitaet,Anderes,Anreise,Ausgehen,Aussicht,Besiedelt,Fehler,Gebiet,Kaufen,Kueche,Sehenswert,Unterkunft,aquamarinblau,cosmos,gold,hellgruen,orange,pflaumenblau,rot,silber,violett)
Map of Mossel Bay
background
In 1488 the seafarer came Bartolomeu Diaz as the first European in the bay of Mossel Bay. After that, countless seafarers stayed here on their way to India. The settlement finally got its name from the Dutch because of the many shells. However, humans had lived in the area thousands of years earlier, as archaeological finds show.
Today Mossel Bay is a popular resort on the western end of the city Garden Route, It is also of regional importance as a business location because of its oil and natural gas deposits.
getting there
- Mossel Bay is on the N2 halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth on the Garden Route.
- Of Oudtshoorn you get on the R324 to the coast to Mossel Bay.
mobility
Tourist Attractions
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/ZA-WC-mosselbay-diazm-2.jpg/300px-ZA-WC-mosselbay-diazm-2.jpg)
Replica of Diaz's ship in the museum
- 1 Diaz Museum (Bartolomeu Dias museum complex), 1 Market Stree, Mossel Bay, 6500. Tel.: 27 (0) 44 691 1067, Email: [email protected]. Open: Mon - Fri 9 a.m. - 4.45 p.m., weekends and holidays 9 a.m. - 3.45 p.m. except on Christmas and Good Friday.. On the museum grounds are
- Maritime Museum. The most important and largest exhibit is a sailing ship, it was built in Portugal after the caravel of Bartolomeu Diaz and came to Mossel Bay in 1988. One focus is the encounter between Europeans and the Khoi-Khoi, there are also exhibits from recent history (dentist's chair, bicycles).
- Shell Museum. In addition to living mussels (ground floor), mussels and molluscs from all over the world are exhibited in the building (upper floor).
- Post office tree. The now huge one Milkwood tree is known as the first South African post office, because messages (in a shoe) have been deposited under this tree since 1500. Postcards that are handed in here are given a special stamp and are properly transported.
- source. It served the early seafarers to replenish their fresh water supplies and has existed up to our time.
- Padrão. A stone column of Portuguese origin.
- Braille trail. The ethno-botanical garden, plants from the area.
- Munrohoek cottages. The buildings from 1830 are not open.
- Malay graves. Over 100 years old, probably remains of a cemetery used by Muslims.
- Cape St. Blaize
- Cape St. Blaize Lighthouse. Open: Mon - Fri 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 12.30 p.m. - 3 p.m.
- Cape St. Blaize Cave. Traces of settlement of the San and the Khoi-Khoi.
activities
- Golf in over 100 years Mossel Bay Golf Club.
- Whale watching: In the season from May to Oct, good observation points are at the lighthouse and at the Diaz Museum (formerly also the whaling station).
shop
kitchen
nightlife
accommodation
Practical advice
- 1 Tourist information, Corner of Market & Church Streets, PO Box 1556, Mossel Bay, 6500 (next to the entrance to the Diaz Museum). Tel.: 27 (0) 44 691 2202, Email: [email protected].