Cape Town is a city built on layers of history and landscape.
Nigel SB Photography/Unsplash
Beyond its iconic mountain and coastline, there is a network of stairways climbs through neighbourhoods, along cliffs and down to the sea. These stairways connect people to the city and to each other. They are part of Cape Town’s makeup and offer a unique way to explore the city. Here are a few of Cape Town’s most intriguing secret stairways and the stories behind them.
Kalk Bay
Kalk Bay is a fishing village with roots going back centuries. The stairways here were built in the late 1800s to connect the harbour to hillside cottages. At that time the slopes were steep and narrow, and steps became the practical solution for daily life. Fishermen carried their catch up these stone stairways while families used them to visit friends or the market.
During the apartheid era, when movement was restricted in many areas, Kalk Bay’s stairways offered quiet shortcuts for residents. They became pathways of resilience and survival. Today these steps lead visitors past colourful homes, flowered lanes and viewpoints overlooking False Bay. They capture the village’s atmosphere and a history shaped by community and the sea.
Bo-Kaap
Bo-Kaap is famous for its vivid houses and cobbled streets. The stairways here date back to the eighteenth century. They were created to connect terraced homes built into Signal Hill. These steps carried artisans, tailors and cooks between home, mosque and workplace. They became part of everyday life and spaces for neighbours to meet.
Over time the stairways took on cultural significance. They have witnessed celebrations, processions and community gatherings. During apartheid, when many parts of the area were demolished, these stairways endured as living links to the neighbourhood’s heritage. Today they remain an important part of Cape Town’s identity.
Vredehoek
Vredehoek is a hillside neighbourhood at the base of Devil’s Peak. The stairways here were built in the early twentieth century to connect homes to streets and tram stops. At the time, the steep terrain made stairways essential for daily life.
Some of the stairways follow older paths used by soldiers stationed on the mountain. This adds another layer of history to their use. Today the Vredehoek steps are popular with locals for exercise. They also offer access to viewpoints where the city and the mountain meet. The steps carry both a practical and historical legacy that speaks to the area’s past and present.
Kloof Nek
Kloof Nek has been an important pass for centuries. Long before roads were built, it was used by Khoi herders, farmers and later soldiers. Footpaths were created to navigate between Table Mountain and Lion’s Head. These paths eventually became stairways connecting homes and hillside trails.
Walking them today is to follow the route of generations before. The steps offer framed views of the city bowl and harbour. They are quiet reminders that the city developed through routes dictated by the land itself. Kloof Nek’s stairways combine natural beauty with a deep historical connection.
Woodstock Stairways
Woodstock has always been a working suburb. In the late nineteenth century it was home to workers who lived in cottages above factories and workshops. The stairways connected these homes to the streets below. They became routes of necessity for families moving through a changing suburb.
During apartheid Woodstock retained much of its diversity and vitality. These stairways were part of that story, providing links between communities. Today they are part of an urban art scene, with walls painted by local artists. Walking them is a journey through both history and creative renewal.
Muizenberg
Muizenberg became a seaside resort when the railway reached it in the late nineteenth century. Holiday cottages and hotels multiplied along the beachfront. Stairways were built from hillside streets down to the shore to give visitors easier access to the waves.
During segregation access to beaches was restricted. These steps became important routes for those who refused to be denied access to the sea. Today they remain part of Muizenberg’s heritage, connecting past struggles to present joy. They are pathways that continue to draw people to the beach.
Each stairway carries stories of the people who built it, the community that used it and the changes the city has seen. Walking them is a way of connecting to the past and seeing the city from a new perspective.
Follow us on social media for more travel news, inspiration, and guides. You can also tag us to be featured.
TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
ALSO READ: A South African traveller’s guide to India’s delicious destinations
