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Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. The city’s history goes back to the mass migration of the Voortrekkers from the Cape Colony in 1835. The Voortrekkers were settlers in the South African interior, and in 1839 they founded Pietermaritzburg, which was named after the Voortrekker leaders Piet Retief and Gerrit Maritz.
The city became the capital of the newly established Natalia Republiek, but Pietermaritzburg fell into British hands, who in 1843 built Fort Napier here. In the same year, the city was chosen as capital of the British Colony of Natal. Throughout the 19th century Pietermaritzburg grew as an administrative town and in 1880 the railway to Durban opened.
In 1910, Pietermaritzburg and the Colony of Natal became part of the Union of South Africa, which shared the capital between the four former colonies Cape Colony, Orange River Colony, Transvaal Colony and Colony of Natal. On that occasion, the South African National Archives were brought together in Pietermaritzburg. At this time, there were approximately 30,000 inhabitants in the city, whose population multiplied throughout the 20th century.
Today, Pietermaritzburg is a city with a center where there is not far between the sights, and where you can go for nice walks along, for example, Church Street, which is the main street. You can start at the city’s beautiful town hall, which was built 1899-1901 in Flemish Neo-Renaissance style, and the 47-meter-high town hall tower has become a landmark for Pietermaritzburg. Diagonally opposite the town hall, along Church Street you can see the town’s courthouse.
Church Street is one of the city’s major business streets, and if you continue along it from the courthouse to the southwest, you come to St. Peter’s Church, which is an Anglican church. You can walk along the parallel street as well, Langalibalele Street, where the provincial parliament of KwaZulu-Natal has its meeting place. You can also see Old Government House, which was the residence of Natal’s Lieutenant-Governor, who first arrived in the city in 1851. The building was completed in the 1860s.
There are several interesting museums and activities in Pietermaritzburg. You can, for example, visit the KwaZulu-Natal Museum, which tells KwaZulu-Natal’s cultural and natural history with a focus on the Zulu culture, and you can also see everything from rock art to a recreation of the 19th-century Victorian era. A little west of the center you can visit the National Botanical Garden, which was established in the 1870s and which today is a beautiful place with both South African flora and plants from other parts of the world.
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.
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa[/caption]
Overview of Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. The city’s history goes back to the mass migration of the Voortrekkers from the Cape Colony in 1835. The Voortrekkers were settlers in the South African interior, and in 1839 they founded Pietermaritzburg, which was named after the Voortrekker leaders Piet Retief and Gerrit Maritz.
The city became the capital of the newly established Natalia Republiek, but Pietermaritzburg fell into British hands, who in 1843 built Fort Napier here. In the same year, the city was chosen as capital of the British Colony of Natal. Throughout the 19th century Pietermaritzburg grew as an administrative town and in 1880 the railway to Durban opened.
In 1910, Pietermaritzburg and the Colony of Natal became part of the Union of South Africa, which shared the capital between the four former colonies Cape Colony, Orange River Colony, Transvaal Colony and Colony of Natal. On that occasion, the South African National Archives were brought together in Pietermaritzburg. At this time, there were approximately 30,000 inhabitants in the city, whose population multiplied throughout the 20th century.
About the Pietermaritzburg travel guide
Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
Published: Released soon
Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English
About the travel guide
The Pietermaritzburg travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the South African city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Pietermaritzburg is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Pietermaritzburg and the South Africa
South Africa Travel Guide: https://vamados.com/southafrica
City tourism: https://visitpieter-maritzburg.co.za
Main Page: https://www.vamados.com/
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Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.
Use the travel guide
When you buy the travel guide to Pietermaritzburg you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.
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