Holiday in Pretoria

About Pretoria

Pretoria is South Africa's administrative capital and the Jacaranda City — every October, 70,000 jacaranda trees transform the streets into a purple tunnel of blossoms, making the city one of the most photogenic in the world. The 2.1 million city (part of the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality) is located just 50 kilometers north of Johannesburg but has a completely different character: quieter, greener, with wide avenues and a mix of colonial architecture and government buildings. The Union Buildings, designed by Sir Herbert Baker, are Pretoria's architectural crown jewel and the official seat of the South African president: a 285-meter-long sandstone complex on Meintjieskop Hill, whose amphitheater-shaped gardens offer the best view over the city. In front of the building stands the 9-meter-high bronze statue of Nelson Mandela — arms outstretched in a gesture of reconciliation. The Voortrekker Monument, a massive granite structure on a hill south of the city, tells the story of the Afrikaner Boers and is a controversial yet architecturally impressive monument. On December 16, a ray of sunlight shines through an opening in the dome onto a cenotaph — an engineering detail that marks the national holiday. Freedom Park, a memorial for all who fought for South Africa's freedom, offers a counter-narrative and connects the history of indigenous peoples with the anti-apartheid struggle to create a holistic place of remembrance.