Johannesburg the City of Gold

South Africa is a country located on the southernmost tip of the African continent. There are many fascinating cities to explore and wonderful national parks.

Johannesburg is South Africa’s biggest city and the capital of Gauteng Province. Its name means City of Gold and it began as a 19th century gold-mining settlement.

The Apartheid Museum lets visitors get a look into the rise and fall of South Africa’s era of segregation and oppression. The museum makes use of film, text, audio, and live accounts to give an insight into the architecture and implementation of the apartheid system. There are also inspiring stories of the struggle for democracy.

One Eloff is an impressive art deco building that is filled with loft-style apartments. Visitors can browse the artists’ studios here and enjoy the trendy eateries. All the shops and cafes stay open till 10 PM on Fridays.

Liliesleaf Farm at one time was the secret headquarters of the ANC or African National Congress during the 1960s. It reopened as a museum in 2008. Visitors can explore on their own or take a tour. Here you can learn the story of South Africa’s liberation struggle through a series of high-tech interactive exhibits.

Wits Art Museum was completed in May 2012. This modern museum is the leading museum of African art on the continent. In this collection are 10,000 works of art. There is a program of events and exhibitions. There are temporary exhibitions and a popular cafe.

Constitution Hill overlooks the city of Johannesburg. It was a former prison that offers an interesting look into South Africa’s history. Visitors can see provocative exhibits at the Number Four Museum, the Woman’s Gaol Museum, and the Old Fort Museum. At one time this precinct was referred to as The Fort. It was a place for political prisoners, common criminals, and passive resistors. Former prisoners include Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.

The old Awaiting Trail Building has been transformed into the Constitutional Court of South Africa and welcomes visitors who want to attend hearings and watch the judicial process. Guided tours of Constitutional Hill are available.

Arts On Main is a multifaceted arts center that makes its home in a former warehouse with a wonderful courtyard. Here you can find cultural spaces, artists’ studios, galleries, retail areas, and restaurants. There are regular performances and events. On Sundays, there’s a popular market.

In Joubert Park, you’ll find the Johannesburg Art Gallery or JAG. This is one of the biggest collections of art in Africa with over 9,000 artworks. The gallery focuses on artwork by South African and European artists. The exhibits include artifacts, drawings, textiles, and paintings from the 17th century to the present day. In the courtyard. there are sculptures on display.

Visit the fascinating Maboneng Precinct which is a successful urban renewal project. Its name means “place of light”. Here you can find trendy restaurants, cafes, art galleries, shops, hotels, and places for entertainment. Among the top attractions here are the weekly Market on Main which offers food from all over the continent, Arts On Main, and Revolution House.

The Lindfield Victorian House Museum is a “living museum” and Provincial Heritage site. The present owner, Katherine Love, who has lived here since 1967, dresses in Victorian clothes and greets visitors, She takes visitors through the rooms of this middle-class Victorian home that was designed by one of South Africa’s most famous architects, Herbert Baker. Visitors can see an impressive collection of 19th and 20th-century furniture, art, and household items. You can hear amazing stories about former residents and how Victorian culture and customs have influenced Johannesburg today. You can get a full tour and afterward have a cup of tea on the verandah.

Mary Fitzgerald Square was named after South Africa’s first female trade unionist. The square is lined with an array of heads, carved from old railway sleepers by Newtown artists. It is also bordered by the Jazz Walk of Fame which is a Hollywood Boulevard-style walkway, paying tribute to South Africa’s most influential jazz musicians. There is also a bronze sculpture that honors Brenda Fassie, one of the country’s most popular musicians, who died in 2004.

The Market Theater complex makes its home in a converted market building. Here you can find four live theater venues. The complex also has a bookshop, an art and photo gallery, and restaurants. A popular jazz venue is Kippie’s offering music by well-known musicians. Every Saturday in the large parking lot directly opposite you can find a large flea market.

Next to the Market Theater is Museum Africa with a collection of reproductions of huts, tools, arts and crafts, dresses, and toys of South African tribes.

Zoo Lake is a busy park in the city center. People enjoy running along paved paths or enjoying a game of basketball or football. Families like to picnic here on weekends. The lake is a favorite spot where people can rent rowboats and paddle to the fountain at the center of the lake.

Visit the lovely Johannesburg Botanical Gardens with large, grassy open spaces with scattered trees. There is a beautiful mix of indigenous and exotic plants. Visitors enjoy the theme gardens – the Shakespeare Garden, the Rose Garden, the Herb Garden, a Hedge Demonstration Garden, and the main arboretum, housing family groupings of plants and trees from South Africa and the world.

The gardens are also home to Emmarentia Dam which is popular with canoeists and boaters. You can see many aquatic birds here.

Gold Reef City is a theme park just great for families. It takes people back to the gold rush days with thrilling theme park rides and historical exhibits. Visitors can also tour a disused shaft of the Crown Mines, one of the richest gold mines in the world.

Carlton Center at 223m has been Africa’s tallest building for over forty years. In the basement, you’ll find a shopping mall. From the observation deck, you can see fantastic views over the city.

Gandhi Square was named in honor of Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi who came to South Africa in 1893 and lived in Johannesburg, working as a lawyer from 1903 to 1914. In the middle of the square is a bronze statue showing him as a young lawyer.

A well-known landmark is the 269m Telkom Tower. It’s not open to the public.

Nelson Mandela Bridge was built in 2003 two days after Mandela’s 85th birthday. This is a cable-stayed bridge that is the longest of its kind in South Africa.

The Johannesburg Zoo is among the popular places to be in the city. It is located in the heart of the northern suburbs. The zoo is home to 2070 animals and 365 different species. Visitors delight in white lions, elephants, polar bears, chimpanzees, gorillas, bat-eared foxes, hippos, antelopes, and much more.