Duwisib Castle, Stone fortress in Southern Namib, Namibia

Duwisib Castle is a pseudo-medieval fortress of red sandstone with towers, battlements and embrasures, designed by architect Wilhelm Sander and completed in 1909. Its 22 rooms hold furnishings bought at a castle auction and imported pieces, including a massive German oak cabinet and Turkish bamboo tables. Hans Heinrich von Wolf planted palm trees in the courtyard.

Saxon artillery officer Hans Heinrich von Wolf bought the farm Duwisib after marrying American Jayta Humphreys in 1907, and architect Wilhelm Sander designed the castle, built from 1908 with red sandstone quarried locally and iron, wood and cement hauled 300 km by ox-wagon from Lüderitz. The couple left in 1914; von Wolf was killed at the Somme in 1916. After bankruptcy the castle passed through Swedish and corporate owners before the government acquired it in 1979 and restored it in 1991.

Duwisib was built by a German officer who wanted to recreate a piece of European life deep in the desert. The red sandstone walls and battlements feel out of place in this spare landscape, which gives the site a strange and lasting impression.

The castle is only reachable by unpaved roads, and a four-wheel-drive vehicle is strongly recommended for the journey. Overnight stays are available inside the castle, which makes it worth planning a full day rather than a quick stop.

Horses said to descend from the von Wolfs' thoroughbred stud farm roam free as Namib Desert Horses along roadsides and in restricted diamond areas. Whether these herds truly originate from Duwisib is not accurately known. The castle has been managed by Namibia Wildlife Resorts since the state acquired it in 1979.