Port Elizabeth, also called Gqeberha, is the largest city in the Eastern Cape province and one of the largest cities in South Africa. The first Europeans came here with the Portuguese in 1488, and in 1497 Vasco da Gama also sailed along the coast. Originally, the place became part of the Cape Colony without being settled. The British invaded the colony in 1795, and in 1799 they established Fort Frederick as a fortress on the site that became Port Elizabeth.

In 1820, approximately 4,000 British settlers sailed here to establish a settlement that could strengthen the colony’s border with the Xhosa people. A port town was built, which grew rapidly, especially with the construction of railways from 1873. With its good location, Port Elizabeth became important for transport to and from the interior of the Cape Colony. With the railway and the growth of the 20th century, Port Elizabeth became a city of more than 300,000 inhabitants.

Today, Port Elizabeth is a city with a beautiful location and a cozy city center where you can take a walk between the city’s highlights. One of them of the city’s town hall, Port Elizabeth City Hall at Market Square. The Town Hall was built between 1858 and 1862 and had its bell tower added in 1883. The building is the meeting place for the Port Elizabeth City Council and there is also a concert hall here.

Market Square is the city’s central square, and beyond the town hall you can see the Public Library, which was built in 1835 as a courthouse. In front of the library stands a marble statue of Queen Victoria. From Market Square you can take a walk along Port Elizabeth’s main street, Govan Mbeki Street, which is also the city’s main business district. You can go east to Port Elizabeth’s railway station, a beautiful building from 1893.

At the station you can see the Campanile Memorial which is a 53-meter-high tower which was built 1920-1922 on the site where settlers came to the area in 1820. There is an observation deck in the tower from which there is an excellent view of Port Elizabeth and the city’s surroundings. From the Campanile Memorial starts the so-called Route 67. It is a route with 67 works of art along the way as a symbol of Nelson Mandela’s 67 years of work for freedom for South Africa’s black population.

There are also several attractions to the south and west of Market Square and the city’s downtown. To the south you can see the Tramways Building, which is a preserved part of Port Elizabeth’s tram history, which lasted from 1881 to 1948. To the west is one of Port Elizabeth’s well-known sights, Fort Frederick. The fort was built by the British in 1799 as a defense of the mouth of the Baakens River. It stands as one of the area’s first buildings, and you can easily form an impression of the facility by visiting it today.

There are great opportunities for recreation in Port Elizabeth as well. St George’s Park is the name of the city’s oldest park. It was established in 1860 and covers 73 hectares with many trees and plantings. In the park is the well-known Port Elizabeth Cricket Club, South Africa’s oldest bowling green and a greenhouse. At the entrance to the park, you can visit the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, which is an interesting art museum that opened in 1956. If you want to go to beaches instead, there are several places such as Kings Beach southeast of the center.