Fascinating Long Street is one of Cape Town's most popular and diverse attractions. With its views of Table Mountain, Lion's Head and Signal Hill, it invites a leisurely exploration. It was first settled by Muslims about 300 years ago, and made up Cape Town's old boundary. By the 1960s, Long Street had become a disreputable part of town, lined with brothels and seedy bars. Some of that underworld atmosphere still remains, but the street has been somewhat upgraded by the presence of antique shops, craft shops, delicatessens, cafes, and some very good second hand book stores.

The Long Street Baths

The Long Street Baths are a Cape Town institution. Established in 1906, the Baths are at the top of the road, near where it intersects with Buitensingel. The steam rooms provide great relaxation on a cool winter day but, if you're going with a friend, be aware that there are separate hours for men and women. A session lasts four hours, and the price of admission gets you a private cubicle and a towel, access to the wet or dry steam rooms, and a massage. Give it a try for a unique and invigorating Cape Town experience.

The Palm Tree Mosque and the Pan African Market

Just north of the Long Street Baths, the Palm Tree Mosque is an unmistakable city landmark. It is not open to the public, but is nonetheless worth a look from the outside. This is the only surviving 18th century building on the street and was constructed in 1780 as a private home. In 1807 it was bought by Frans Van Bengal, a Muslim, and Jan Van Boughies, a freed Muslim slave, who turned it into a mosque. Just nearby, you will find the Pan African Market, one of Cape Town's most intriguing secrets. It is one of the best places in the city to buy African crafts, but it is very easy to miss if you don't know where it is with a quite inconspicuous frontage. Within, however, are three floors of rooms and connecting passageways crammed with art and artifacts from all over Africa. A range of traders display brass animal figures, masks from West Africa, contemporary South African textiles, leather goods, and tailored clothes. You can also buy bargain priced CDs and musical instruments, have your hair braided, and even take lessons on playing drums.

The South African Missionary Meeting House Museum

Located near the end of Long Street at the harbour is the South African Meeting House Museum. Completed in 1804, this was the first missionary church in South Africa. It is an extraordinary building, with one of the most beautiful frontages in Cape Town. The façade is dominated by large windows which are separated into bays by delicate Corinthian pilasters. The interior features an impressive neoclassical pulpit carved from wood which is perched on a pair of columns high above the congregation. The columns frame the inlaid image of an angel in flight. This museum is a good place to either start or finish your stroll along Long Street.