Pretoria
Travel Guide > Africa > South Africa > Pretoria
In this Article
- Introduction
- Neighbourhoods
- Sights and Activities
- Events and Festivals
- Weather
- Getting There
- Getting Around
- Eat
- Drink
- Sleep
- Work
- Learn
- Keep Connected
Join the Hipporoller Challenge
Help the Travel Guide reach 20,000,000 characters and we'll donate 63 hipporollers worth over $6000. Read more.
On Travellerspoint
Contributors
Utrecht (52%)
from http://utrecht.travellerspoint.com
Kieran-M (19%)
from South Africa Travel Plan
as well as Peter (13%), wildman_za (10%), Sam I Am (6%)
Help contribute to this article to share the ad revenue.
Introduction
Pretoria, South Africa's administrative capital, is located in the northeast of the country in the Gauteng Province. Many of the streets are lined with Jacaranda trees, which have a beautiful mauve blossom in spring. These trees have earned the city the nickname Jacaranda City.
Neighbourhoods
Church Square
The centre of Pretoria, Church Square is surrounded by historic buildings, including the Palace of Justice, the Old Capitol Theatre, the Old Council Chambers and the Tudor Chambers.
Sammy Marks Square
Shopping malls and chain stores mean its a good place to stop and shop.
Sights and Activities
If it's your bag check out the Tswaing ('Place of Salt') Crater situated about 50km north of Pretoria. It gets 12,000 visitors a year because it's one of the best preserved meteor craters in the world. It's got a museum and entry to the area costs around R15 with guided tours available for a little more. To the west of Pretoria you can head out to Hartebeespoort Dam for a day, but the area is generally quite busy with locals flocking to the area on their days off.
Events and Festivals
World Cup 2010
Pretoria will be a host city for the World Cup 2010. World Cup matches in Pretoria will be held the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, one of the oldest stadiums in South Africa. The stadium has been used for major sporting events since 1903 and since 1948 it has undergone perennial upgrades. It has been used for both rugby and football matches and is home to one of the country's top rugby teams, the Blue Bulls. Loftus Versfeld is in the heart of Tshwane/Pretoria and currently has a seating capacity of over 50,000.
Weather
Pretoria has a fairly moderate climate compared to many other parts in the country. Temperatures average around 27 degrees Celsius from October to March and around 20 degrees Celsius from June to August. Nights are roughly around 13 to 17 degrees during winter, but only around 3 degrees on average in June and July. Extremes of 35 degrees and -4 degrees have been recorded. May to October is fairly dry, November to March is the rainy season with between 100 and 150 mm of rain each month.
Getting There
By Plane
Fly into Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport (IATA code: JNB/). From there the R21 (Albertina Sisulu Highway) leads to Pretoria. Airport shuttles are available at the airport or can be booked in advance.
By Train
By Car
The N1, N3, N4, N12 and N14 national highways all connect in the Gauteng region, making Pretoria easily accessible by car from around the country.
By Bus
By Boat
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Budget
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1322 Backpackers International | 1322 Arcadia Street, Hatfield PO Box 36709, Menlopark 0102 | Hostel | 87 |
| Constantia Guest Lodge | 133 Emmarentia Street Meyerspark, 0184 | Guesthouse | - |
| Gauteng Day Trippers & Travelers Lodge | Plot 69 Knoppies Laagte Centurion Pretoria | Guesthouse | - |
| Kia-ora Backpackers | 257 Jacob Mare Street Berea | Hostel | 57 |
| North South Backpackers | 355 Glyn Street Hatfield | Hostel | 43 |
| Pretoria Backpackers | 425 Farenden street Clydesdale | Hostel | 69 |
| Villa Zieshaan | 323 Minnaar Street | Hotel | - |
Mid-Range
Upscale
Work
This is version 13. Last edited at 20:01 on Aug 26, 09 by Utrecht (-14). 10 articles link to this page.
Except where otherwise noted, content of this article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License