Castello Di Monte

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Hotel overview

Sweeping staircases, colonnaded terraces and red-tile roofs make Castello Di Monte a breath of Tuscan grandeur, nestled in landscaped gardens on a hill overlooking Pretoria. Elegant rooms are furnished in classic style, with dark woods and soft fabric colours, whilst the public areas afford wonderful views. Everything here is luxurious and stylish without being over-the-top, and it's the perfect base to explore the area from, or to bookend a journey on one of the luxury trains serving the city.

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Quirky excursions

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Excursion

Constitution Hill

Constitution Hill is a former prison and military fort, now a Constitutional Court, which endorses the rights of all citizens and also a living museum that tells the story of South Africa’s journey to democracy. You might think of Robben Island when it comes to infamous incarcerations, however, Constitution Hill in fact imprisoned a vast number of world-renowned men and women, such as Nelson Mandela. Mahatma Gandhi, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Fatima Meer. The prison also confined tens of thousands of ordinary people during its 100-year history: men and women of all races, creeds, ages and political agendas; the indigenous and the immigrant; the everyman and the elite. As such, the history of every South African lives here and you get to hear their stories.

Excursion

Rovos Rail from Pretoria to Cape Town

Your Rovos Rail experience begins amidst the delightful surrounds of the restored Art Deco station Capital Park, in Pretoria. You’ll be drawn by steam train for the first few kilometres before being hooked up to the diesel that will haul you the rest of the way to Cape Town. Leaving Capital Park at 3 pm you can relax and get to know your fellow passengers before dinner. The following day you arrive in Kimberley for your tour. Kimberley is one of the more remote towns right in the heart of South Africa but has played an absolutely crucial role in the nation’s history, for it was here that diamonds were discovered and men like Cecil Rhodes made their fortunes; doubtless the presence of such massive mineral wealth also helped shaped Rhodes’ belief that the area should be governed by the British Empire. The Big Hole is Kimberley’s most striking feature, a vast hole 463 metres wide and originally excavated down to 240 metres by hand, yielding 2,700 kilograms of diamonds in its life as a mine. A visitor centre has grown around the mine and offers a great introduction into this remarkable period of South African history. You have dinner back on board before retiring for the night. As you wake the next morning you are in Matjiesfontein. Matjiesfontein is situated on the edge of the Klein Karoo, just north of the Winelands of the Western Cape. Founded in 1884 and originally a staging post on the Imperial British railway, it soon became known as a health spa – the dry air was reckoned to be the perfect cure for chest complaints. The remoteness of Matjiesfontein is part of its appeal and perhaps also why the 21st and indeed the 20th century appear to have passed her by. A National Monument, it has been preserved exactly as it was in Victorian times. Your tour will take in a ride around the small town in a historic bus, a visit to the museum and a drink at the Lord Milner Hotel. You continue on from Matjiesfontein through the stunning Winelands before arriving in Cape Town at 6 pm.

Excursion

The Union Buildings

The Union Buildings were designed by British architect Sir Herbert Baker and building was completed in 1913. Since then, they have been at the heart of South African politics, throughout the turbulent years that followed. They are very grand, the façade stretching some 285 metres, with domed towers and ornate colonnades, and are set in glorious grounds of manicured gardens. They became iconic when Nelson Mandela delivered his inaugural address from the buildings, and the Union Buildings are still, to this day, the official seat of South African government and the offices of the President. Their impressive architecture, wonderful setting, and important place in history make them a key part of any tour of Pretoria.

Excursion

Soweto tour

For many people a township tour of some sort is an essential part of any trip to South Africa, to try and understand the country’s turbulent recent history. As far as townships go, none is more famous than Johannesburg’s South-West Township, or Soweto as it became known. A tour here will take in several key elements, including the Hector Pieterson Memorial. In 1976 there was a student uprising in Soweto and 12 year old Hector was killed when the police opened fire, one of 23 who died that day. His was the most famous death because the photo of him being carried away after being shot became an iconic image of the anti-apartheid movement. Another famous landmark is the only street in the world to have housed two Nobel Prize winners – Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu; Mandela’s old house is now a museum. There are more light-hearted and uplifting elements to a Soweto tour: a visit to a shebeen (tavern) for a beer with the locals is always entertaining, and then there is the modern symbol of just how far Soweto and South Africa have come – Soccer City, the purpose-built stadium that played host to the opening ceremony and the final of the FIFA World Cup 2010.

Excursion

The Voortrekker Monument

The Voortrekker Monument was built in 1938 to symbolize the unity of the Afrikaner people, descended from those early pioneers who set out to settle the interior of South Africa, and establish a state in keeping with their religious views. The monument is a vast, imposing edifice, a huge brick Cenotaph surrounded by a wall bearing the frieze of 64 Great Trek wagons. These symbolize the 64 wagons at the Battle of Blood River, a pivotal event in early Afrikaner history when a small raiding party of Voortrekkers held of an assault by several thousand Zulu troops. This event gave the Voortrekkers the idea that their enterprise was favoured by God, and is why it was the inspiration for the monument. There are also murals depicting scenes from the Great Trek and a museum: it’s an important place to visit to understand the origin and role the Voortrekkers and their Afrikaner descendants have played in South African history.

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