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Kaapprovinsie |
| The Castle, Cape Town. One of the oldest structures in Cape Town, its cornerstone was laid in 1666 and for the next 13 years timber was dragged from Hout Bay and stone and lime was shipped from Robben Island to construct this symbol of military authority. Today it is an increasingly important venue for art exhibitions and cultural events. Die Heerengracht was Kaapstad se hoofstraat, wat vanaf die waterfront tot by Govermnentslaan (Government Avenue). In 1850 is die straat se naam verander na Adderley Straat in respek vir Charles B Adderley, a Britse parlementslid wat die Kaap kolonie se suksesvolle veldtog teen die Britse plan om die Kaap in 'n gevangene kamp te vernader, ondersteun het. Adderley was ook in Port Elizabeth ge-eer met 'n straatnaam. Groot Constantia. Built by Governor Simon van der Stel more than 300 years ago, it is the Cape's grandest homestead, housing a priceless collection of objets d'art. The Houses of Parliament. The graceful Victorian and Edwardian architecture of this important building have seen every aspect of South Africa's turbulent modern history. They were officially opened in 1884 and are surrounded by the tranquil Gardens. Groote Schuur. Once it belonged to Cecil John Rhodes, the imperialist adventurer. Now it is the official home of the President of South Africa. Cape Town's famous hospital of the same name was once part of the larger estate. Genadendal Mission Station. This collection of whitewashed thatched cottages in the foothills of the Langeberg mountains was founded in 1737 by German missionaries who worked among the Khoi people. Fishermen's cottages, Arniston. A well-preserved traditional Cape fishing village featuring quaint cottages and the historic fishermen's graveyard, Arniston is also visited for its many caves that provide spectacular evidence of marine erosion. Matjiesfontein Village, Laingsburg District. An eccentric Scotsman, James Logan, settled in the Karoo for health reasons and established this Victorian village which became an important railway stopover. Graaff-Reinet Historic Core. Looking down from the craggy columns of the Valley of Desolation in the Eastern Cape, Graaff-Reinet is a picture-perfect town. It touts itself as the 'Gem of the Karoo' and the neat manicured lawns and jacaranda trees echo the pride of the residents. The town has many museums and exhibitions expressing the history and culture of the varied population. At Reinet House on Parsonage street, there is an ancient grapevine planted in 1870 by a priest, Charles Murray. Next door is the Urquhart House, which has a popular genealogical research centre. The Old Library Museum, on the corner of Church and Somerset streets, houses the Lex Bremner Fossil Collection of Karoo reptile fossils, and a collection of Bushman Art Reproductions. At the Old Residency, tourists view the carefully preserved memorabilia from the Middellandse Regiment of the World War II and a collection of antique firearms. Over 200 houses in Graaff-Reinet have been restored to their original Victorian look and proclaimed national monuments, making the streets an historical adventure to walk down. Kimberley Mine (Big Hole), Kimberley. In the town that was the hub of the diamond mining rush, The Big Hole - the largest hand-dug excavation in the world - was mined to a depth of 215m and has a surface area of around 17 hectares and a perimeter of about 1,6km. By the time work on the mine was suspended in 1914, 22,5-million tons of earth had been excavated and 2 722kg of diamonds had been discovered. By 1888, imperialist Cecil John Rhodes's diamond company De Beers was in control of Kimberley and monopolised the world's diamond markets. Voortrekker site, Schoemansdal. In 1849 Andries Hendrik Potgieter set up Zoutpansbergdorp, which was renamed Shoemansdal by Stephanus Schoeman, the commandant-general for the region. By 1855 it had 1 800 white inhabitants. Agriculture and ivory trading were the main economic activities. There are remains of the town's houses, streets, shops and a water furrow system - what was seen as 'the focal point of white civilization in the Northern Transvaal in the middle of the previous century'. The town was abandoned in 1867 after wars with black people. In 1988, on the 150th anniversary of the Great Trek, 'a living monument ... in honour of the courageous Voortrekker' was erected. *****Pilgrim's Rest. In 1873 gold was discovered around Pilgrim's rest - and this discovery led to the gold rush and the founding of a mining village with wood-and-iron architecture. It is considered an important site because this preserved boom town to this day depicts early gold-mining techniques and socio-economic conditions. *****Krugerhof, Waterval Boven. In 1900 British forces approached Pretoria so the government of the South African Republic moved to Machadodorp in the Eastern Transvaal. The Eastern Transvaal affected President Kruger's health so he moved to Krugerhof and other members of the executive committee travelled by train every day to discuss affairs of the state with him. Kruger's last residence in the republic still stands today. *****Raadsaal, Bloemfontein. The oldest building in Bloemfontein, the Raadsaal was home to the last three presidents of what was then the Orange Free State.
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