Luederitz, Southern Namibia

The bay of Luederitz was discovered in 1488 by the Portuguese seafarer Bartholomeu Diaz. He called it Angra Pequeña. Centuries later, in 1883, Adolf Lüderitz, a merchant from Bremen, acquired the bay from the Nama-chief Joseph Fredericks from Bethanie.

Luederitz with its 8000 inhabitants is a sleepy and quiet place. The founding town of Namibia at the border of the Namib desert was built on naked granite rock it has had an interesting past in trading, fishing, whaling, sealing, diamonds, an infamous island prison camp and now tourism. Luederitz main attractions now are its buildings, its festival, the near buy ghost town and its access to the natural wonders of inland and costal Namibia.