Fri 25th Jul 2008
- Pretoria Travel Guide & City Information
Pretoria is one of the capitals of South Africa. Located just a few kilometres (±50km) north of Johannesburg it is an attractive city - but it doen't have the big city atmosphere of Jo'burg.
Situated in the centre of the city, Church Square is the focal point of the administrative capital of South Africa. The large open space, formed part if the original survey of Pretoria by Andries Francios du Toit, whose map bears the date 2 March 1859.
The name derives from the fact that Reverend Dirk van der Hoff established a congregation there in 1854. After Pretoria had became the seat of the Transvaal government in 1860 important Government buildings were erected round the square such as the government Building, often refferd to as the Raadzaal and the Palace of Justice opposite. Today there are a lot of restaurants and shops in the area.
A short walk from Church Square, you find Kruger House. The residence of President Paul Kruger has been turned into a museum and national monument and is worth a visit.
Another major attraction is the Zoological gardens. Since its inception in 1899 it has grown to such an extent that today it enjoys world-wide recognition. Not only is it the largest zoo in South Africa but one of the ten best in the world. More that one million people visit it every year.