Besa Vormatu-Dzelumadzekpo

Historic and Cultural Tourism

Castle Tours

Cape Coast Castle (1563)

‘Cabo Corso,’ meaning ‘short cape’, is the name the Portuguese settled on for the local settlement within which its trade lodge was built in 1555. Its corruption to ‘Cape Coast’ is now the accepted name of the capital of the Central Region of Ghana. The Swedes, led by Krusenstjerna, however, were the initiators of the permanent structure presently known as Cape Coast Castle. They built a fort in 1653 and named it Carlousburg, after King Charles X of Sweden. Its proximity to St. George’s Castle (Elmina Castle) and its sheltered beach were all forceful ‘pull factors’ for European nations to the Cape Coast. In addition, the immense viability of the area’s trade implied that the ensuing quest for control led to the Swedes having trouble holding on to their fort. It was captured in turn by the Danes and the local Fetu chief. Dutch occupation commenced in 1660. Finally, the British fleet, led by Captain Holmes, conquered the fort in 1665 and by 1700, had upgraded it into a castle. Colonial rivalry between England and France peaked in 1757 during the Seven Years’ War. A French naval squadron bombarded Cape Coast Castle, leaving it badly damaged, and after 1760, the English reconstructed the castle entirely - with more durable materials and an improved sea defence system. The English retained control of the Castle into the late 19th century. The slave trade was principal until its ban in 1807 by the British, and it ‘is estimated that around 1700, the Royal African Company was exporting some 70,000 slaves per annum to the New World’ . After 1807, trade centred on precious metals, ivory, corn and pepper. In the eighteenth century, the castle’s role altered, as it became the centre of European education in Ghana. The Cape Coast Castle has served as the West African headquarters of the president of the Committee of Merchants; the seat of the British governor; and a school.

The castle’s opening hours are 9:00am to 4:30pm daily.

Elmina Castle (1482)

Renowned as the first major European construction in tropical Africa, St. George’s Castle, in the town of Elmina in the Central Region of Ghana, was founded by the Portuguese in 1482. The site of the Castle was selected by Portuguese navigators, as it was advantageously located at the end of a narrow promontory , a stone’s throw away from both the Atlantic Ocean and the Benya River. The lee of the low headland provided an excellent natural harbour. St George’s Castle or ‘Sao Jorge da Mina’, after the patron-saint of Portugal, as the castle was known to the Portuguese, afforded the Portuguese a trade monopoly in the area, with unrivalled access to the region’s gold. The sheer magnitude of trade volumes resulted in labour challenges, as navies were unable to convey the large quantities of European goods to all markets. The importation of slaves from Benin in exchange for gold and ivory in the early 16th century was the identified solution. However, not long after, the influx of superior gold from Mexico into Europe caused gold prices to plummet rapidly. The economically distraught Portuguese were easily ousted from Elmina in 1637 by the Dutch. The main Dutch trades were gold and slaves; they reconstructed the castle between 1770 and 1775. Until 1872, the castle served as the focal coordinating point for Dutch Gold Coast activities. In 1682, the author Jean Barbot described St. George’s Castle as having ‘no equal on all the coast of Guinea’ , with respect to beauty and strength. On 6th April, 1872, the castle was ceded to the British. In recent years, it has served as Police Recruit Training Centre, a secondary school, and it is presently a historical museum. St. George’s Castle is featured on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Next to the castle is a picturesque fishing harbour, and within walking distance are sites such as Fort Coenraadsburg (St. Jago), the Dutch cemetery, and the ‘Posuban’ buildings of Elmina.

The castle’s opening hours are 9:00am to 4:30pm daily.

Cape Coast Castle Museum

"Crossroads of People, Crossroads of Trade"

The Cape Coast Castle Museum is housed in one of the wings of Cape Coast Castle, in the Central Region. The Cape Coast Castle Museum aims to educate its visitors about the advent of Europeans to Africa and their interactions with the local communities and the Central Region in general. Visitors can view maps of slave trade routes and look at examples of the objects which were traded in for slaves – such as glass beads, whisky bottles, and firearms. Representations of the hold of a ship, as well as auction blocks, have been constructed to simulate for guests a tiny part of the experience of the enslaved. The museum also includes exhibits on the pre-colonial history of the Central Region, in addition to displays on its contemporary culture. Visitors can view a video documentary on “Cross Roads of Trade, Cross Roads of People” putting into context the interactions between the Africans at Home and those in the Diaspora.Exhibits include: gold weights and measuring scales; state swords; guns; stone implements for hunting; paintings; terracotta figurines; a palanquin (a structure used to carry chiefs); life size European engravings that depict West African scenes; maps of the slave trade routes; examples of items exchanged for slaves; shackles; a black-and-white print of the slave ship, nineteenth-century engravings of captives onboard a slave ship; clan staffs; a canoe; photographs of famous black people through the years; traditional cloths; carved wooden utensils; musical instruments; and a model of Cape Coast Castle.The Cape Coast Castle Museum’s facilities include conference halls; a library; an art and craft studio; a book store and gift shop; curio shops, a car park; and an open courtyard for outdoor activities. The Cape Coast Castle also hosts the Building History Museum. There is also a 45-minute guided tour, which allows visitors to view the castle’s dungeons, the condemned cell and the “Door of No Return”.

Elmina Castle Museum

"Elmina Across the Centuries"

The St. George’s Castle Museum is located within St. George’s Castle (often called ‘Elmina Castle’), a fortress in the Central Region. The purpose of the museum is to educate the public on the history of St. George’s Castle, as well as to preserve the cultural heritage of the Central Region. Exhibits include: photographs representing the images of St. George’s Castle across the centuries; displays on the Asantes of Elmina, and on local trading activities with the Europeans; gold weights; shackles; murals; local textiles, stools, stone implements, ceramics, bottles, clay, glass and beads. The museum provides tours of St. George’s Castle. Visitors may absorb the sights of the former storehouses and slave dungeons, chapels and governor’s chamber. Another scene of interest is the cell where a King of Asante was once held prisoner. Visitors will also be afforded the opportunity to capture some bird’s eye photographs of the surrounding harbours, fishing boats, and the nearby Fort St Jago, all from the battlements of the four-storey St. George’s Castle. After a tour of the castle, a chance to rejuvenate is on hand at the museum’s restaurant and bar. A bookstore and a gift shop are also available, and the museum provides visitors with access to a car park. There is an open courtyard for outdoor activities.

Walking Tours in Cape Coast and Elmina

• Waling Tours of Cape Coast Historic  District and its environs

• Walking Tours of Elimina