Pretoria City Sightseeing Tour
With tree-lined avenues, striking architecture, and important monuments shining a light on a strong colonial history, Pretoria ranks among South Africa’s must-see cities. On this half-day tour, you will learn a lot about the fascinating history of South Africa during a Pretoria city experience. You will visit the Union Buildings, the headquarters of the government. The buildings are beautifully situated in terraced gardens, where you can enjoy an idyllic walk. Another major attraction on this tour is the Voortrekker Monument. This monument is of great significance to many Afrikaans-speaking South Africans and stands for Afrikaner Nationalism. The monument is in the shape of a big stone cube. The interior walls depict the story of the Great Trek, a mass movement of Afrikaner Boers, who resented British rule. Another interesting site on our tour is the Paul Kruger House Museum. Kruger National Park is named after Paul Kruger. Learn more about this fascinating man and his life. The house displays furniture and personal items of the Kruger family. On this Fascinating tour, with a local guide’s help, you won’t miss any of the must-see highlights: Paul Kruger House Museum, Voortrekker Monument, Union Building, etc.
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1
SA Police Officers' Memorial Amphitheatre
The South African Police Memorial, located on the grounds of the Union Buildings in Pretoria, honors South African Police Service members who died in the line of duty. State President P.W. Botha unveiled the monument on October 17, 1984. General Michiel Christian Wilhelm Geldenhuys, then-Commissioner of the South African Police, dedicated the memorial's cornerstone on May 20, 1983. The two-meter-high concrete wall signifies the duty of police protection, while the seven pillars represent the many branches of service. The memorial has plates with the names of the fallen engraved on them and is placed across from an amphitheater that organizes an annual memorial ceremony to honor South African police officers who died in the line of duty.
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2
Union Buildings
The Union Buildings serve as the formal seat of the South African government and also contain the offices of the South African President. The Buildings are a focal point of South African political life; "The Buildings" and "Arcadia" have become metonyms for the South African government. It has become an iconic landmark of Pretoria and South Africa in general, as well as one of the city's most popular tourist attractions and a symbol of democracy. Presidential inaugurations are held at the Buildings.
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3
Rifled Breech-Loading 5 inch Naval Gun | Mounted on 40 Pounder Rifled Muzzle-Loader Carriage
The 5-inch BL cannons Mk I - Mk V was early British 5-inch rifled breechloading naval guns that replaced rifled muzzle-loaders in the late 1870s. They were initially intended to employ gunpowder propellants. The 5-inch caliber was quickly phased out in favor of the QF 4.7-inch.
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4
Mandela Statue
The Nelson Mandela statue rises 9 meters tall on the grounds of the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Gauteng, and honors former South African President and anti-apartheid crusader Nelson Mandela. It is constructed of bronze and weighs around 3.5 tonnes. It is 8 meters long from fingertip to fingertip. It was cast in 147 parts at four separate foundries before being assembled in Cape Town, where the Knight brothers at Sculpture Casting Services Foundry did the engineering. Nottingham Road in KwaZulu-Natal was used to cast the legs and arms. The statue was unveiled on the Day of Reconciliation (16 December 2013), putting the ten-day formal mourning period to an end after Mandela's death on 5 December.