Sightseeing in Pretoria - what to see. Complete travel guide

Magnificent architecture and splendor of natural colors, warm sun and wide range of entertainments - Pretoria has become a favorite place of rest for thousands of travelers. The city is divided into small blocks, each of which will be interesting and has prepared many surprises for curious tourists.

The majority of cultural and historical monuments are concentrated in the downtown area. Church Street is the heart of Pretoria. This street is also known as the longest one in the world. During the walk on it you can see most beautiful architectural buildings of the city: Anglican Cathedral, the Mint, the Palace of Justice as well as the building of old post office and several major banks.

Bryntirion is considered the biggest park of the city. You will also find several interesting buildings in this park. The Presidential residence is a truly amazing creation, which is more like a posh palace, rather than an office building. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In the eastern part of the city are located most popular entertainment venues, cafes, restaurants and shops. Despite the fact that these districts are the newest ones, the nature here is as beautiful as in the old part of the city. Tall buildings made of concrete and glass are mixed with spacious parks and avenues. The local Botanical Garden is also located nearby. This garden features a rich collection of rare plants and can conquer with the world-famous Cape Town garden. Don’t forget to visit the National Park, which main feature is beautiful statues and fountains.

Those tourists, who wish to visit major museums of the city, are recommended to make excursions to Museum of Kruger and Military Museum, Art Gallery and Museum of Fine Arts.

An attractive place for walking is Freedom Park that contains a fabulous memorial complex on its territory. You may also be able to find very interesting and symbolic monuments dedicated to the history of the development of South African lands there. A walk in the park will turn into a fascinating excursion, during which you can find out about the tribes that inhabited these lands hundreds of years ago, as well as how the colonization of lands and the further struggle for independence proceeded. Lovers of art will be interested in visiting Van Wow Museum, dedicated to the life and work of the famous Dutch sculptor. Most of his life the artist lived in Pretoria. The museum is located in his former home. The sculptor's studio has survived. Nowadays, a lot of his personal belongings, working tools, historical documents and exact copies of his most outstanding works can be seen among the exhibits.

Pretoria hosts one of the largest astronomical observatories in South Africa called the Radcliffe Observatory. It was founded in the late 18th century in Oxford. From England, the observatory was transferred to the territory of South Africa in 1970. Several times a week they held exciting excursions, during which you can see the technical equipment of the observatory and even try out some of its telescopes.

Pretoria is famous for its picturesque gardens and parks. Khantam Garden is one of the most beautiful. Numerous rare plants and flowers are presented there. Experienced tourists claim that spring is the best time to visit the garden. At this time of year, you can admire hundreds of flowering trees and shrubs, as well as take pictures with incredible landscapes.

No less interesting is the garden with the complex name of Mani van der Schijff. It was founded back in 1934. Now, a beautiful garden, whose area is about 3.5 hectares, is run by a local university. On its territory, you can see more than 4000 species of plants brought from around the world. Fans of unusual sights are invited to visit the diamond mine of Callinen. It is one of the most famous in the world. A significant part of the enterprise is available for visiting as part of the excursion. You can see with your own eyes diamond mining and cutting process.