Woodstock, Cape Town

A gritty inner-city suburb turned creative quarter, Woodstock lies just east of Cape Town's central business district, wedged between the harbour and the lower slopes of Devil's Peak. Long one of the city's few areas that remained relatively mixed through the apartheid years, it has an industrial past of factories and warehouses that now shapes its character.

Over the last two decades it has become an arts and design hub. Old workshops and mills have been converted into galleries, studios, breweries and coffee roasters, and the streets are famous for large-scale murals painted by local and international artists. Wandering the side roads to spot the ever-changing street art is one of the main reasons visitors come.

The Old Biscuit Mill anchors the scene, a former factory complex housing design shops, eateries and a popular weekend market where stalls sell artisanal food, crafts and produce. The surrounding blocks hold contemporary galleries and furniture makers, giving the area a strong reputation for South African design.

Woodstock is not a polished tourist enclave, and its transformation sits uneasily beside ongoing questions of gentrification and displacement, which thoughtful visitors will notice. Away from the market days some streets can feel run-down, and it pays to be aware of your surroundings, especially after dark. That said, by day it is an absorbing place to explore on foot, ideally on a guided street-art or food tour that gives context to both the creativity and the social change. Close to the city and the harbour, well served by trains and taxis, Woodstock rewards travellers curious about a working neighbourhood reinventing itself, rather than those looking for manicured attractions. Weekend mornings, when the market at the Old Biscuit Mill is in full swing, are the liveliest and safest time to explore the area on foot.