Pietermaritzburg

KwaZulu Natal's capital, Pietermaritzburg was founded in 1838 by the Voortrekkers and has since grown to become KZN's second largest city. Pietermaritzburg takes its name from two famous Boer leaders; Piet Retief and Gert Maritz. The gateway between Johannesburg and Durban, Pietermaritzburg is surrounded by lush wooded hills and is an attractive city with old Victorian style architecture and many historical buildings.

Pietermaritzburg has a very rich history, dating through the Boer War and Apartheid. There was even an incident in 1893 with Mahatma Gandhi when he was forcibly removed from the 1st class section of a train for being Indian- an experience that ultimately leads Gandhi to make the decision to stay in South Africa, to non-violently fight against the racial discrimination that was rampant in the country.

Today Pietermaritzburg has become well known due to the various sports that take place in the city. Every June since 1921 the Comrades Marathon is run between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, following the Msunduzi River on which the Dusi Canoe Marathon is raced. While just north of the city, the Midmar mile is one of the largest open-water swimming events in the world and takes place annually across the Midmar Dam. Pietermaritzburg is also home to the Pietermaritzburg Oval, one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in South Africa.

Pietermaritzburg lies on the edge of the Midlands where an abundance of craft shops, boutique breweries, cheese makers, waterfalls and much more can be found along The Midlands Meander.