Potchefstroom boasts a rich and varied historical and cultural heritage, including many national monuments. Probably the most popular being the Oak Avenue which is 6,84 km long. The avenue of beautiful oak trees is the longest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The trees, planted in 1910, cover an area from the Agricultural College to the Lakeside Holiday resort.
The main museum and three house museums afford visitors a journey into the Potchefstroom of yesteryear. The Potchefstroom museum comprises a Main Museum (Gouws Street), the Totius House Museum (cnr Molen and Esselen Street), the Presedent Pretorius Museum (van der Hoff Road) and the Goetz / Fleischack Museum (cnr Gouws and Potgieter Streets). Potchefstroom Museum has excellent displays tracing the history of the city, along with a fine ethnographic representation of the region.
Visiting Hours:
weekdays 10:00 – 13:00 and 14:00 – 17:00
Saturdays 09:00 – 13:00
Admission is free.
The Nederduitsch Hervormde Church is the oldest existing church building north of the Vaal River, a declared national monument and a well-known landmark in Potchefstroom. At the front entrance is the bust of Rev Dirk van der Hoff (the first minister of the congregation), by the sculptor Coert Steynberg. Other memorials on the terrain portray important events in South African history and the growth of the church. Right across the road from this church you will find the City Hall in Edwardian Classicistic design. The City hall was inaugurated in 1909 and together with the City Hall of Krugersdorp, it is the oldest existing City Hall north of the Vaal River in South Africa. The western façade is strictly symmetrical with the 26m high ornamental, domed tower as a central axis. The clockwork and bell with its Westminster chimes were manufactured in the Netherlands.
A large variety of tourism services cater for the interests of all age groups.
2000 million years ago a giant meteorite struck the earth near the present day village of Vredefort. The impact created a crater some 90km in diameter and caused a tremendous shift in the earth’s crust across a radius of over 150km now known as the Vredefort Dome. This fascinating natural phenomenon, different in shape and vegetation from its surrounding area, caters for the adventurous, etc. Today the Dome Conservancy is one of the province’s prime adventure tourism sites with numerous tour operators and accommodation facilities catering for campers, hikers, rock climbers, canoeists and white water rafters, with hiking trails, river rafting, abseiling, fly fishing etc. From Potchefstroom, exit the town on Mooi River Drive and follow the signs to Schoemansdrift. Turn left at the Venterskroon sign and enter the Dome.
South of the city, adjacent to a large section of the Mooi River, you will find the OPM Prozesky Bird Sanctuary. This sanctuary is a 60ha reserve open to the public. Access must however be arranged beforehand at the Information Office. The nearly 200 bird species attract bird lovers far and wide. A Mooi River Trail, which runs through the Green Belt area in the city, may be followed along the river up to the Lakeside Resort.
On the accommodation side, tourists may stay at the Lakeside Resort or camp alongside the waterfront. This popular resort is situated on the banks of Potchefstroom Dam on the Mooi River, and boasts a variety of facilities and entertainment, including tennis courts, facilities for water sports and angling.
The Trim Park is situated in the Green Belt area adjacent to the Mooi River. This is a delightful recreational areas and has lately developed as an ideal venue for shows and other festivals.
Apart from sports and recreational activities, the city offers a rich variety of entertainment. The Sanlam Auditorium of the PU for CHE, serves as a theatre for the city and neighbouring towns. This venue is well equipped and has hosted ample local, national and international artists.
Potchefstroom hosts the annual Aardklop National Arts festival.
The visitor to Potchefstroom can choose from a range of accommodation options including bed-and –breakfast enterprises, guest houses and hotels, and can satisfy the appetite at any one of many interesting restaurants.
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