Peitermaritzburg
The City Of Choice
General Information
Other Name: -, , State: KwaZuluNatal, South Africa
Area: 649 km²
Languages Spoken: -
Long Distance Code: +27(0)33
Importance: -
Best Time to Visit: - to - and -
International Access: -Description
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city of the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was founded in 1838. Popularly called Maritzburg, and abbreviated PMB, it is home to a campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and is a major producer of aluminium as well as timber and dairy products.Pietermaritzburg is also famous for an incident early in the life of Mahatma Gandhi. The popular myth of the incident is that he was thrown off a train for refusing to go sit in third-class seating due to a white man not having a seat. Today, a bronze statue of Gandhi stands in Church Street, in the city centre.Pietermaritzburg used to be called the "last outpost of the British Empire". Today, the atmosphere is markedly African.Location
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Comprising 86.5ha, Alexandra Park was established in 1863 and named after Princess Alexandra of Denmark who later became Queen Alexandra of Great Britain. It features the picturesque cricket Pavilion built in 1898 to commemorate 50 years of British history in Pietermaritzburg. Today it houses a restaurant. There is also a charming Chinoiserie-style bandstand, recently renovated to its former glory, which is the venue of regular concerts. Alexandra Park is a centre for international sports fixtures and the venue for monthly craft markets.
A complex housing a butterfly craft shop, art gallery, coffee bar, African art & craft centre and a garden planted with a large range of butterfly food plants. The prime attraction is an impressive walk through the butterfly house where visitors can come into close contact with butterflies from around the world as they fly freely in a lush environment. An outdoor butterfly garden complements the enclosed house, enabling guests to observe these magnificent jewels of the air in their natural habitat.A butterfly nursery, where gardeners are able to buy plants specifically suited to butterflies, is soon to open. A butterfly museum houses bright, attractive displays, taking the visitor into the butterfly's world and encouraging them to spend time exploring and learning. Additionally, a high impact audio-visual presentation enhances the entertainment value of the experience whilst encouraging visitors to take a pro-active stance in butterfly conservation.
The impressive Howick Falls, 119m/360ft high (near the town of that name, 25km/15mi north of Pietermaritzburg), are the most striking feature in the Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve, which attracts thousands of visitors every year. The reserve contains more than 200 species of birds, as well as giraffes, zebras, wildebeests and many species of antelope. There are hiking trails along the river; some accommodation for visitors.
In the Inhluanza Hills, to the west of Howick, is the Midmar Public Nature Reserve (area 2,844ha/7,025ac), within which is the Midmar Dam, a favorite haunt of water sports enthusiasts and anglers. Visitors can observe - from a boat or a cross-country vehicle - white rhinos, zebras, wildebeests, antelopes and water birds. There is good walking and riding in the reserve, which also has tennis, boccia and squash courts, a swimming pool, a children's playground, camping sites and a restaurant. Accommodation for visitors is available in chalets and huts.
Pietermaritzburg is justifiably known as the City of Flowers, with private gardens and public parks aglow with lush foliage and seasonal blooms, such as bougainvilleas and azaleas.The National Botanical Gardens, one of eight in the country, is situated on an ancient floodplain and a hillside at the foot of a mist belt. Established in 1870, the garden concentrates on the conservation and propagation of rare and endangered indigenous plants as well as the cultivation of east coast grassland plants.Being an all-season garden, it is a birding paradise for more than a 100 species, and home to a variety of small game.
The Natal Museum, to the south of the City Hall, is one of South Africa's five National Museums. The building dates from 1905. The Museum has collections of South African mammals, birds, amphibians, insects and mollusks as well as valuable paleontological and geological material. The ethnological department has artifacts from different parts of Africa. There are also a room devoted to the history of Natal and a reconstruction of a Victorian street, with houses and shops.