Built in 1576 by the first Portuguese governor of Angola, the Fortress of São Miguel presides over Luanda Bay, which it once defended. Since then, the polygonal fortification served for a time as an administrative center and a military garrison; today, it’s home to the Museum of the Armed Forces, with displays of tanks, combat vehicles, weapons and cannons used in Angola’s War of Independence and also in opposition to South Africa’s military interventions in the 1970s and ‘80s. From the fort there are panoramic views of the city and the bay.
