Robben Island off of Cape Town
Welcome to the Alcatraz of Cape Town. Robben Island may not have had the famous mafia or mob prisoners but it does have a strong place in history. The island of the coast of Cape Town was a place of normal life thousands of year ago. That all changed when the Dutch came along.
Robben Island became an island of banishment and isolation in the late 1600 and remained that way through parts of the 20 century. It did have famous leaders and activists inside its walls including Nelson Mandela, who was the first democratic President of South Africa.
Because of its isolation from the main land, it was also chosen as a defence station for a time during WWII and then it became a hospital for serious contagious diseases as well as mental heath patients.
Today, the island is now a place where the visitors staying in the hotels of Cape Town come and spend a few hours learning some of the history of not only the city and country but also the fight of freedom and human rights.
This is a well put together museum filled with the story between those who were for and against apartheid. There are many programs for people of all ages to attend and learn about the struggle. A true must see when in the area.
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