On the outskirts of Pretoria, Rietvlei Nature Reserve offers a peaceful escape to nature and great game viewing less than a 20-minute drive from the city center. The dam was built during the Great Depression, and now constitutes 15% of Pretoria’s water supply as well as supporting a range of highveld game that was reintroduced Read More…
Ditsong Museums of South Africa is a group of eight national museums with significant cultural collections. The Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, formerly known as the Transvaal Museum, has an extraordinary collection of mammals, amphibians, fossils, geological specimens, and archaeological material. In the Austin Roberts Bird Hall, visitors can see more than 800 species Read More…
A haven for hikers and nature lovers, Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve spans 100 hectares in the foothills of Moreleta Kloof near the city center. In the 19th century, the reserve was a dairy farm, and one of the original buildings has been converted to a restaurant where visitors can dine on a beautiful deck, often Read More…
Sitting on Salvokop Hill with panoramic views, Freedom park traces the story of South Africa’s liberation and honors those who played an important role. The site opened to the public in 2007 and encompasses a series of poignant memorials and an impressive museum with exhibits examining the nation’s history from the dawn of humanity to Read More…
Set in beautiful gardens, the Union Buildings command the highest point of the city on Meintjieskop Hill near historic Church Square, site of the city’s first settlement. Designed by Sir Herbert Baker in 1913, this impressive range of sandstone buildings mixes Italian Renaissance, English Renaissance, and Cape Dutch styles. It’s the seat of government and Read More…
At the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre, about a 45-minute drive from Pretoria, animal lovers can get up close and personal with some magnificent African creatures. This non-profit center was established in 1971 as a cheetah breeding project and has since successfully bred African wild dogs, Cape vultures, and brown hyenas among other animals. The Read More…
Spanning 85 hectares, the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa provides a full day of animal fun for the family. This large zoo encompasses a walk-through aviary, a reptile house with a collection of animals from all over the world, as well as the country’s only inland aquarium where visitors can see many species of Read More…
High on a hilltop south of the city center, the Voortrekker Monument is a South African National Heritage site and one of the country’s most visited historic monuments. It was built in 1949 to commemorate the Voortrekkers, the Boers who pushed northward into unknown territory in the mid 19th-century. This 40-meter-high square granite structure is Read More…
The Pretoria National Botanic Garden, in the city’s eastern suburbs, is a peaceful oasis close to the city. The 76-hectare gardens spotlight South African species with more than half the country’s tree species as well as many flowering plants, cycads, aloes, and other impressive collections. A quartzite ridge slices the park into two sections, with Read More…