 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||
Pietermaritzburg
|
||||||||||||||
 Quite a new attraction in Pietermaritzburg is "Butterflies for Africa" in Willowton Road. The centre consists of an enormously big walk-through enclosure with hundreds of butterflies from all over the world. And there is a café, a butterfly breeding station, a museum and an art gallery. Tel (0)33 3871356.  Wartburg lies a 20 minutes' drive (32 km) off Pietermaritzburg on the R614. It is embedded in sugarcane plantations, maize fields, forests and pastures. The village of Wartburg was founded in 1881 by missionaries of the Berlin Mission Society, and still today many of the 1000 inhabitants speak German fluently. So do the owners of the hotel, the Wartburger Hof, upmarket and rustic at the same time, where the guest can enjoy a good draught beer and a substantial meal.
|
||||||||||||||
 The city centre with the main attractions of Pietermaritzburg is confined to quite a small precinct around Church Street, an attractive pedestrian zone. The African curios in the African Arts & Crafts Centre in Fraser Lane include sculptures, hand-woven blankets and carpets as well as jewellery.The museum was established in the "Geloofde Kerk" (Church of Vow) in Church Street. It deals with the Voortrekker history. The Voortrekkers built the church in 1841 to keep Andries Pretorius' vow on the eve  of the Battle of Bloodriver. Nowadays the museum is extended to also show a very interesting exhibition of the history of the Zulu people, for instance the carved throne of King Dingane. Tel (033) 3946834. This remarkable art gallery lies in the old Supreme Court building from the year 1871, which at first was a post office. Surprisingly, one can see here works of British and French artists from the 19th and 20th century including Degas, Picasso, Matisse, Hockney and Renoir. Works of contemporary African art are also shown. Open daily except mondays. Small entry fee. Founded in 1902, it is one of the oldest museums in South Africa. Collections concerning natural science, geology, archaeology and paleontology. Open daily. Small entrance fee. Address: 237 Loop Street, Tel (0)33 3451404.  This wonderful botanical garden from 1874 has contributed a lot to Pietermaritzburg's fame as the "City of Flowers". The garden specialises in the protection of endangered South African plants like the Clivia. Traditional medical plants. More than 150 bird species. Beautiful walking routes. Restaurant. Open daily from 8 am to 6 pm. Address: Mayor's Walk, Tel (0)33 3443585. The little nature park lies in the suburb of Cascades and houses the headquarters of KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife. A circular path leads through the park. Many birds. Nice picnic spot. Open daily. Tel: (0)33 8451344. |
||||||||||||||
Southern Domain Online Travel Guides. All rights reserved. eMail info@southafrica-travel.net . |
||||||||||||||
[
[
= Budget
= Standard
= Luxury
= Prestige