Namibia - Botswana and Namibia - page 563

the remains of a 1906 German fort . The fort was raised to prevent Nama attacks on Ger-
man travellers and Lüderitz-bound freight.
Accommodation of all varieties is available at the historic Seeheim Hotel ( 250503;
campsite per person N$75, s/d N$420/760) , which features an atmospheric old bar as
well as period furniture. Campsites on terraced grass at the front of hotel and a clean
amenities block are available, while rooms are simple, clean affairs with mosquito nets
(upstairs rooms are better).
The sealed B4 highway connects Keetmanshoop with Lüderitz, though you're going to
need your own vehicle if you want to access this stretch of highway.
BETHANIE
One of Namibia's oldest settlements, Bethanie was founded in 1814 by the London Missionary Society. After sev-
en years the mission was abandoned due to tribal squabbling and although a German missionary Heinrich
Schmelen attempted to revive it several times, he was thwarted by drought.
Schmelen's original 1814 mission station, Schmelenhaus , occupied a one-storey cottage. It was burnt to the
ground when he left Bethanie in 1828, and later rebuilt in 1842 by the first Rhenish missionary, Reverend Hans
Knudsen. The building now sits on the grounds of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and houses a museum full of
old photos of the mission. If it's locked, a notice on the door will tell you where to pick up a key.
Also worth a look is the 1883 home of Captain Joseph Fredericks, the Nama chief who signed a treaty with the
representatives of Adolf Lüderitz on 1 May 1883 for the transfer of Angra Pequena (present-day Lüderitz). It was
here in October 1884 that Captain Fredericks and the German Consul General, Dr Friedrich Nachtigal, signed a
treaty of German protection over the entire territory.
The sole accommodation in town is the Bethanie Hotel , a personality-steeped building that's more like an ex-
pansive guesthouse, with good facilities including camping and modern rooms. This place was being sold at the
time of writing so call by to see if it has reopened.
The Bethanie turn-off is signposted on the B4, 140km west of Keetmanshoop.
DUWISIB CASTLE
063
A curious neo-baroque structure located about 70km south of Maltahöhe smack dab in the
middle of the barren desert, this European castle (admission N$60; 8am-1pm &
2-5pm) is smaller than some grandiose descriptions suggest and only really worth a stop if
you're passing by. The portraits and scant furniture certainly give it a European feel,
though, and the pleasant courtyard is a good place to relax in the shade of some majestic
trees.