Durban is the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal and one of the largest cities in South Africa. The written sources about the area begin in 1497, when Vasco da Gama sailed along the coast around Christmas time and named the place Natal. In 1686, a ship from the Dutch VOC sank, and survivors came to present-day Durban, which was bought by the Cape Colony in 1689.

A real colonization did not happen until 1824, when the British helped the Zulu king Shaka and received a large area of ​​land out of gratitude. Union Jack went to the top, and the British settlement became a reality with the name Port Natal, which in 1835 was changed to Durban after the governor of the Cape Colony, Benjamin D’Urban. The town became a garrison town, but was occupied by Dutch Voortrekkers in 1839, who proclaimed Natalia Republiek.

However, Durban returned to the British again in 1842, and then it developed to approximately 5,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the 1860s. The population multiplied to approximately 70,000 when Durban became part of the Union of South Africa in 1910. Durban’s growth continued through the 1900s, where it was expanded with e.g. educational institutions and new port facilities, and in 2010 Durban was one of the host cities for the World Cup in football.

Today, Durban is a big city with many sights and attractions, interesting architecture and lovely recreational areas. You can experience the city on foot on a stroll, with a good start at Durban City Hall, which is home to the city administration and one of Durban’s landmarks. The Neo-Edwardian town hall was built with inspiration from Belfast City Hall in Northern Ireland in the years 1906-1910, following a design by the architect Stanley G. Hudson.

Durban City Hall is the focal point of several squares in central Durban. Opposite the town hall is the Central Post Office, which was opened in 1885 as the city’s first town hall. It was Phillip Dudgeon who designed the building, which is considered one of South Africa’s finest examples of neoclassicism. The neighboring building is St Paul’s Anglican Church, which was erected as the second church on this site in 1910.

From the area around the town hall, you can walk west along the main thoroughfares West Street and Anton Lembede Street. This is where you will find many of Durban’s high-rise buildings and large shops. There are also several museums downtown, such as the Durban Natural Science Museum, which is a part of the town hall building. You can visit the Old House Museum as well, located in an old 19th century house, where you can explore the life of the upper middle class early settlers in the area.

Just east of Durban Central, which is the name of downtown, you come to the Golden Mile Durban. The Golden Mile is Durban’s long beaches with golden sand, where you can enjoy a swim in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean under the subtropical sun. There are tourist hotels along the beach, and in the neighborhood, there are many activities such as the amusement park uShaka Marine World. You can also take a walk along the Durban Point Promenade, which is close to the entrance to the city’s harbour.

If you want to enjoy cafés, restaurants, shops and historic suburban charm, you can go to Florida Road, which is a little north of Durban Central. Florida Road is known as one of the most interesting places to go out in the evening and between Sandile Thusi Road and Innes Road you can see the many old houses that are over a hundred years old, many are in the Edwardian style of the time.