The Alte Feste Fort was founded in 1890 by German commander Kurt Von Francois, who on 18 October laid the foundation stone for construction of the fort, it is therefore one of the oldest buildings in the city of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. The fort is located high on a hill overlooking the central area of Windhoek, originally the fort, rectangular, measuring 62 meters long and 35 meters wide, at the corners were built four towers, the two on the eastern wall were high 9 meters, the two on the western wall measured 6 meters in height. The fort during the German colonial era was used as a headquarters of the German colonial troops (Schutztruppe) (until 1915) and then as headquarters for the South African troops; in 1935 it became a hostel for the Windhoek High School; in 1957 it was declared a national monument; and starting from 1962 hosts the state historical museum, a multipurpose museum, which contains information on the history of Namibia from its origins (the san art (bushmen)) to the colonial period and independence; inside are exposed furniture, rock-graffiti, musical instruments, ceramics, objects of the colonial era and photographs of the struggle for the independence of Namibia. 

Near the fort is found the equestrian monument called Reiterdenkmal, erected in 1912 to commemorate the German soldiers and civilians killed during the uprising of the Herero and Nama people (1903-1907 and 1908).