Pietermaritzburg

Pietermaritzburg (often referred to as Maritzburg) can be found in the forest covered hills that are the Natal Midlands. While the town was still only 6 years old the British colonialists arrived and converted the town into a military garrison. Evidence of this development can be seen in the town today in the form of beautiful Edwardian and Victorian buildings. The British being a large factor in the development of the town of Pietermaritzburg and the large amount of British buildings still evident in the town today are what led to it being affectionately named “The Last Outpost of the British Empire”.

In the centre of the town of Pietermartizburg, on a road called Church Street, is a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi. The reason for this is that during apartheid, Gandhi was riding a train to Pretoria when a white man objected to him being allowed into the first class cabin. Candhi refused to move and was thrown off the train at Pietermaritzburg. This incident is what caused him to remain in South Africa and help fight the racial segregation that polluted the country at the time. This statue is one of the many interesting historical memoirs that you can find throughout the peaceful town of Pietermaritzburg. Another example of this is just north of the town there is a statue dedicated to Nelson Mandela. The reason it is there is because this is the place that he was arrested before being sent to prison.

Another great attraction in Pietermaritzburg is the 46 hectare Botanical Garden and town’s city hall, the largest red-brick building in the southern hemisphere.