Page 8 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - South Africa

6  HOW T O USE THIS GUIDE GA UTENG AND MPUM ALANGA  311
GAUTENG AND SUN CITY
Johannesburg is an urban conglomerate that developed around
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE lies sedate and elegant Pretoria, founded by the Voortrekkers
the rich gold mines of the Witwatersrand in Gauteng. To the north
before the discovery of gold and today South Africa’s
administrative capital. In the northwest, the glittering Sun
City complex provides fast-paced entertainment, while the
neighbouring Pilanesberg reserve offers Big Five game-viewing.
The rocky Witwatersrand (“ridge of white homes. The Magaliesberg mountain
waters”) escarpment lies about 1,600 m range is a nearby nature retreat whose
This guide helps you to get the most from a safaris. The four regional sections, plus (5,250 ft) above sea level and stretches for lower slopes are popular for hiking.
80 km (50 miles) from west to east. After
The ambitious Sun City development
turned the most unpromising terrain in
the discovery of the main reef on the
Witwatersrand in 1886, gold fast became the former homeland of Bophuthatswana,
visit to South Africa, providing expert Cape Town, describe important sights, the basis of the national economy and now part of the North West Province, into
dictated the development of the then
an opulent leisure resort. Subsequent
mostly rural Transvaal Boer republic. While expansion produced the exotic fantasy
Johannesburg was built on gold and
called The Palace of the Lost City, where
recommendations and detailed practical using photographs, maps and illustrations. industry, Pretoria was founded as a capital tropical jungle now covers what once was
during the Voortrekker period of South
overgrazed farmland, and computer-
Africa’s past, and is still today the home generated waves wash onto pristine, man-
information. Introducing South Africa maps Restaurant and hotel recommendations of government departments and made beaches. Even those who do not
diplomatic missions.
find the complex to their taste have to
admire the effort and planning that went
Those who wish to escape the cities
into its creation. Adjoining Sun City is the
do not have far to go. Northwest of
the country and sets it in its historical and can be found in Travellers’ Needs. The Survival Johannesburg and Pretoria is the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, which was
Hartbeespoort Dam, where water- sports
created out of an extinct volcanic crater in
enthusiasts flock at weekends, and the 1979 and today is home to all the large
shores are lined with resorts and holiday
animals visitors expect to see on safari.
cultural context. Wild South Africa is a Guide contains practical tips on everything
detailed guide to wildlife viewing and from transport to personal safety.
C APE T OWN  125 In October, the streets of Pretoria are ablaze with lilac jacaranda blossoms
Cape Town THE CITY BOWL Each area has its colour-coded Doors of the Constitutional Court, Johannesburg, with carvings symbolizing the rights enshrined in the Constitution
Cape Town’s Central Business The many open-air markets and 310-311_EW_South_Africa.indd All Pages 29/05/2015 15:52
District is cradled at the foot of informal stalls with an ethnic thumb tabs.
The “mother city” has been Table Mountain. The city is bounded African flavour are attractions in
by Devil’s Peak to the east and Lion’s
their own right, and nature lovers
Head to the west. Table Bay harbour are enthralled by the city’s scenic
divided into three sight seeing and the V&A Waterfront separate beauty. Early Cape Dutch and
19th-century Vic torian architecture
the city centre from the Atlantic
Ocean. Visitors are often surprised may be admired on a stroll through
areas. Each has its own chapter by Cape Town’s sophistication: it town. Particularly inter esting A locator map shows clearly where
offers a plethora of culturally var ied,
buildings are Heritage Square on
exciting restaurants, and vibrant
the corner of Shortmarket and
opening with a list of the sights nightlife in the clubs and bars Buitengracht streets, as well as the area is in relation to other areas
the Blue Lodge on Long Street.
around Kloof and Long streets.
described. The Further Afield Sights at a Glance Parks and Gardens of the city.
Museums and Galleries
2 Iziko Slave Lodge
9 Table Mountain pp136–7
4 District Six Museum Historic Buildings
8 Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum
section covers many peripheral 0 Iziko South African 1 Iziko Michaelis Collection
3 Grand Parade and City Hall
National Gallery
5 Iziko Castle of Good Hope pp130–31
q South African Jewish
7 Iziko Koopmans-De Wet House
Museum
places of inter est. All sights are w Iziko South African Area Map For easy reference,
Museum and
Planetarium
Churches
numbered and plotted on an 6 Lutheran Church 1sights are numbered and
BEACH HELEN SUZMAN located on a map. City centre
BOULEVARD
Area Map. Information on the LONDON FIRMOUNT FRERE 3 ANCHOR BAY SPRINGBOK HIGH LEVEL OCEAN VIEW
NORFOLK
BEACH MAIN OCEAN VIEW WALTER SISULU sights are also marked on the
sights is easy to locate as ST JOHNS HIGH LEVEL SIGNAL HILL YUSUF CHIAPPINI ALBERT LUTHULI LONG TABLE BAY BOULEVARD
R E G E N T UPPER CLARENS M ILITA RY UPPER BLOEM BUITENGRACHT WALE LOOP ADDERLEY NELSON MANDELA Cape Town Street Finder
it follows the numerical VIC T ORIA BEACH OCEAN VIEW KLOOF FRESNAYE DISANDT FRESNAYE SIGNAL HILL DEVONPORT MILNER NEW CHURCH QUEEN VICTORIA LOOP LONG PLEIN DARLING STRAND TENNANT NELSON MANDELA BOUL EVARD maps (see pp175–83).
OLD MARINE
QUEENS
SPORTS CLUB
NEW MARKET
SIR LOWRY
CHAPEL
order used on the map. KLOOF ARCADIA CLOSE LION'S HEAD ST MICHAEL'S KLOOF NEK CAMP KLOOF ORA NGE HOF HATFIELD MILL HOPE BUITENKANT ROELAND JUTLAND CONSTITUTION KEIZERSGRACHT CHESTER
DE HOOP
F I RD A L E MOLTENO De Waal Park DE WAAL
BELLEVUE HOF BELVEDERE PRIN C E BUITENKANT VREDE HOEK
HIGGO MONTROSE UPPER ORANGE GORGE DAVENPORT ST JAMES CHELMSFORD
RUGBY DEER PARK WEST
BRIDLE
0 metres 750
0 yards 750
Sights at a Glance lists the Cape Town’s City Hall, home to the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra For keys to symbols see back flap THE CIT Y BOWL  127
126  C APE T OWN
chapter’s sights by category:
ROBBEN ISLAND
124-125_EW_South_Africa.indd 125 Street-by-Street: City Centre 28/05/2015 14:04 Southern Sun Cape Sun
on Strand Street
V&A
Museums and Galleries, The compact city centre lends itself to walk ing, because WATERFRONT The towering bronzed-
glass façade of this city
most of its major sights are easily accessible. Cape Town is
dissected by a number of thoroughfares, one of which is CITY CENTRE hotel is a landmark. The
views from the top floors
Churches, Parks and Gardens, Adderley Street. The parallel St George’s Mall is a lively are exceptional.
pedestrian zone where street musicians and dancers
Historic Buildings, etc. entertain the crowds. Greenmarket Square, the focal point of Locator Map
the city, is lined with many historically significant buildings.
See Street Finder, map 5
One block west of here, towards Signal Hill, is Long Street.
Some beau tiful examples of elaborate Victorian buildings St George’s Mall
with balconies and intricate ironwork – now housing shops, A bustling pedestrian area, St George's Mall is
full of street entertainers, shops and cafés
bars and hostels – can be seen along this street. H O U T S T R E E T
Street-by-Street Map C A S T L E S T R E E T S T R A N D S T R E E T
2This gives a bird’s-eye view L O N G S T R E E T S H O R T M A R K E T S T R E E T Foreshore
of the key areas in each . Greenmarket Square H O U T S T R E E T Adderley Street runs from the
Adderley Street
Gardens to the Foreshore. The
A produce market since
sightseeing area. 1806, and now a national L O N G M A R K E T S T R E E T G E O R G E ’ S M A L L flower sellers have a perman ent
S T
monument, the cobbled
spot at Trafalgar Place.
square supports a colourful,
daily open-air craft market.
Among the historic B U R G S T R E E T 0 metres 0 yards 100 100
buildings surrounding it is Bo-Kaap
the Old Town House. D A R L I N G S T R E E T
and the Grand
Parade
Stars indicate the sights that no C H U R C H S T R E E T A D D E R L E Y S T R E E T The Castle
visitor should miss.
. Long Street
This well-preserved historic street is W A L E S T R E E T
lined with elegant Victorian buildings
complete with graceful, delicate Standard Bank
wrought-iron balconies. Britannia is seated on the dome, high
above the four-columned portico.
Government The foundation stone of the building
was laid in 1880.
Avenue B U R E A U S T R E E T
Groote Kerk
128  C APE T OWN THE CIT Y BOWL  129 Only the original steeple remains of
South Africa’s oldest church. Completed
2. Iziko Slave Lodge in 1703, it was rebuilt around 1840. The
The exhibits at this museum illustrate carved pulpit, dating to 1789, is the work
By 1807, new premises from the Dutch Reformed Church in people streamed to the Key of sculptor Anton Anreith and carpenter
the history of the site, the second-
which to administer the Cape Cape Town from 1864–71. Grand Parade to celebrate the Suggested route Jan Jacob Graaff.
oldest colonial building in Cape Town.
Colony were needed, and For hotels and restaurants in this area see p384 and pp398–9
release of the country's future
the Slave Lodge suited most R Groote Kerk president. Today the City Hall is
requirements. Many slave 43 Adderley St. Map 5 B2. Tel 021 422 home to the Cape Philharmonic
inhabitants of the lodge were 0569. Open 10am–2pm Mon–Fri. Ring Orchestra, which regularly
sold, while others were moved ahead for a free guided tour. performs here.
to the west wing of the
building. The vacated area was
turned into offices. In 1811, the 3 Grand Parade 4 District Six
west wing was also converted. and City Hall Museum
The people responsible for
the conversion were the Darling St. Map 5 C2. 25a Buitenkant St. Map 5 B2.
builder Herman Schutte, the The Grand Parade was the site Tel 021 466 7200. Open 9am–4pm
sculptor Anton Anreith and the van Riebeeck selected for his first Mon–Sat. & 8 - A suggested route for a walk
architect Louis Michel Thibault. fort in 1652. The structure was ∑ districtsix.co.za
The Old Town House, where the Iziko Michaelis Collection is kept As well as govern ment offices, levelled in 1674 when the Castle Up until the 1970s, the Sixth
of Good Hope (see pp130–31)
Municipal District of Cape Town
the lodge also housed the
1 Iziko Michaelis interesting, offering an insight Supreme Court, the post office was completed; until 1821 the was home to almost a tenth of covers the more interesting streets
Collection into Dutch society at the time. and the public library. The Many Cape Muslims have green grocer stalls area was used as parade and the city’s population. In 1965, the
present building once
on the Grand Parade
In addition to the permanent
exercise ground for the troops.
apartheid govern ment declared
Greenmarket Square. Map 5 B1. collection, the gallery has a extended into Adderley Street, As buil dings went up around the the area “white”, under the Group in the area.
Tel 021 481 3933. Open 10am–5pm series of temporary exhibitions but this portion had to be Across the road from the Slave peri meter, greengrocers Areas Act of 1950. Removals
Mon–Sat. Closed 1 May, 25 Dec. & that have been designed to demolished when the road Lodge is the Groote Kerk (big established fruit stalls, precursors began in 1968, and by 1982,
∑ iziko.org.za appeal to both locals and was widened. However, the church). Soon after their arrival of today’s flea market, which more than 60,000 people had
Located in the Old Town House, visitors alike. original façade, designed by at the Cape, the Dutch held operates from Monday to been forcibly uprooted from their
this national monu ment was After hours, the gallery Thibault, has been restored to religious services on board Friday. The site is now used homes and relocated 25 km (16
built in 1755 in the Cape Rococo becomes a cultural centre, its former splendour. Jan van Riebeeck’s ship, both as a car park and as a miles) away onto the barren
style. It initially served as the hosting chamber-music Iziko Museums of Cape Town Drommedaris. Later, they venue for popular events. plains of the Cape Flats.
“Burgherwacht Huys” (house of concerts and lectures. has transformed the Slave used a small room at Overlooking the Grand The District Six Museum was
the night patrol) and the Lodge into a major site that Castle Good Hope. Parade is Cape Town’s launched in 1994 to comme-
magistrate’s court; in 1839, it was increases public awareness However, they soon imposing City Hall. Built morate the events of the Detailed Information
claimed as a town hall by the 2 Iziko Slave of slavery, cultural saw the need for a in 1905 in the elaborate apartheid era and preserve the
newly formed municipality. Lodge diversity and the per manent site. A first, Italian Renaissance style, memory of District Six as it was
After renovations in 1915, the Cnr Wale & Adderley sts. struggle for human temporary struc ture at it presents its elegant before the removals. It does this
building was handed over Map 5 B2. Tel 021 467 rights in South the northeast end of façades on four different through a fascinating collection 3All the sights in Cape Town
to the Union Government 7229. Open 10am–5pm Africa. The history the Company’s Garden streets. A 39-bell carillon that includes historical documents,
for use as an art gallery. Mon–Sat. Closed 1 May, of slavery at the was replaced by a tower was added in photographs, audio-visual
The original collection was 25 Dec. & 7 Cape is illustrated thatched church on the Andrew Murray 1923, which is an recordings and physical remains
donated to the city by the ∑iziko.org.za Plaque on the Iziko with three- same site in 1700, at the (1828–1917) impressive half-size of the area such as street signs. are described individually.
wealthy financier Sir Max Slave Lodge dimensional and order of Governor Willem replica of London’s
Michaelis in 1914. It was added The first building on this audiovisual displays Adriaan van der Stel. Big Ben. It was from the balcony
to by Lady Michaelis after the site was a lodge that housed along with text, images and The church was completely of the City Hall that Nelson 5 Iziko Castle of Addresses, telephone numbers
death of her husband in 1932. the slaves who worked in the maps. A section that focuses on rebuilt in the 19th century, Mandela addressed the world
The collection consists of a Company’s Garden (see pp134– life at the lodge is based on and the new building was after spending 27 years in prison. Good Hope
world-renowned selection of 5). One of the oldest buildings archaeological and archival dedicated in 1841. All that On that day in 1990, 250,000 See pp130–31.
Dutch and Flemish art from the in Cape Town, it was built around sources, as well as the memories remains of the original church and other practical informa tion
17th-century Golden Age. The 1679 on land that originally of people who trace their roots today is the Baroque belfry,
portraits are particularly formed part of the garden. to the time of slavery in the Cape. which, unfortunately, is now
almost obscured by tall
The Michaelis Collection modern buildings. are also provided for each
Of interest in the church
This important art collection was established in 1914, when is the splendid original pulpit
Sir Max Michaelis donated 68 paintings collected by Lady Phillips supported by carved lions. The
and Sir Hugh Lane. The gallery formally opened three years later, and story goes that sculptor Anton entry. The key to the symbols
today houses some 104 paintings and 312 etchings. It includes works Anreith’s original con cept
by Frans Hals, Rembrandt, van Dyck, David Teniers the Younger, including the symbolic images
Jan Steen and Willem van Aelst. Although the collection is rather of Hope, Faith and Charity was
small in comparison to international galleries, it presents a valuable rejected as being too papist. used in the information block
source of reference of the evolution of Dutch and Flemish art over The façade of the church has
two centuries. One of the most famous paintings in the collection high Gothic windows divided
is the Portrait of a Lady by Frans Hals.
by bold pilasters. In front of is shown on the back flap.
Portrait of a Lady, Frans Hals (1640) the building is a statue of
Andrew Murray, minister of Cape Town’s City Hall, opposite the Grand Parade
For hotels and restaurants see pp384–5 and pp398–401
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