Court Classique Pretoria

The capital city of Pretoria – South Africa has three capitals – can be found an hour’s drive north of Johannesburg, in the northeast province of Gauteng. It’s richly diverse with an eclectic blend of art deco, European and postmodern architecture aligning jacaranda tree-lined streets. Head to Bosman and Cilliers streets in autumn for a procession of purple.

Getting around is relatively straightforward with regular Metro and bus services ferrying passengers in and out of the city suburbs. It’s a walkable city with numerous landmarks and museums located amongst the skyscrapers of the central business district.

Church Square is the historic heart. This is where you’ll find the Palace of Justice, the Old Capitol Theatre and the Ou Raadsaal surrounding a statue of the Boer leader, Paul Kruger. It’s a popular place in summer with local folk and tourists making the most of the lawns.

The Voortrekker Monument and the Freedom Park Heritage site sit to the south of Church Square. They’re really impressive landmarks and well worth visiting to learn more about the early Afrikaan settlers and history of South Africa.

Suburbs spread away from the city to provide peaceful places to stay outside the busy town centre. The hotel is in the suburb of Arcadia, where you’ll find several top-end restaurants and boutique stores alongside the Pretoria Art Museum and the Union Buildings sitting atop of Meintjeskop hill.