South Africa's Johannesburg and Environs
Pretoria
Known for its vibrantly blooming Jacaranda trees in springtime, the South African capital of Pretoria offers visitors not only a wealth of natural beauty, but also a zephyr of political culture. From its unique speckling of political buildings to its distinct monumental tributes to leaders of the past, Pretoria displays the essence of South African political history.
Between its collection of intriguing museums and its stout monuments to influences gone past, visitors are at no shortage of South African history. A visit to Melrose house, marked with two odd gables, deep veranda and elaborate ironwork, provides onlookers with a curious sampling of a day in the life of wealthy businessmen before South Africa’s recent evolution. The Voortrekker Monument and Museum, on the other hand, offers a vivid remembrance of the early Afrikaner pioneers and the Great Trek, in which they ventured into the South African interior.
