Kimberley
Description
Kimberley, known as the “city that sparkles", has significant historical importance due to its savvy diamond mining past. It is the capital of the Northern Cape province of South Africa, and features a range of attractions, from the Big Hole to a number of fascinating museums. Ensure you have time to explore it all by booking at one of the fantastic Kimberley accommodations.
When one conjures up images of Kimberley, they likely think of the Big Hole, previously known as Kimberley Mine. Although it isn’t the biggest manmade hole in South Africa (Jagersfontein Mine takes credit for that), the Big Hole formed part of the diamond rush of the 1870s where men managed to excavate three tons of diamonds and 22,5 million tons of earth in the process. There are efforts in Progress to name Kimberley’s Big Hole as a World Heritage Site.
The Kimberley Mine Museum is a recreated townscape museum situated alongside the Big Hole. It features a viewing platform and houses a collection of artefacts such as Cecil John Rhodes’ grand railway carriage, the first house and church built in the developing Kimberley, and the framed original cheque signed by Cecil John Rhodes and Barney Barnato for £4.5 million to establish De Beers Consolidated mines.
Today, Kimberley is a modern city with wide, tree-lined streets, beautiful parks and gardens, and bustling shopping centres. A range of excellent accommodations are on offer in Kimberley, from guest houses and B&Bs, to hotels. The city is a major tourist attraction, boasting a diversity of museums that will teach each visitor some great history lessons. While in Kimberley, be sure to visit the McGregor Museum that showcases research collections and information about the history and ecology of the Northern Cape. Also worth a visit are William Humphrey’s Art Gallery, the Sol Plaatje Museum, and the Transport Spoornet Museum. The Pioneers of Aviation Museum is built on the site of South Africa’s first flying school, which later became the South African Air Force. It houses a replica of a Compton Paterson biplane, one of the first aircrafts to be used for flight training.
Don’t miss the Miners' Memorial (also known as the Diggers' Fountain), built in honour of Kimberley’s miners, or the Honoured Dead Memorial that commemorates those who died defending the city during the Siege of Kimberley. Other buildings to visit include the Burger Monument near Magersfontein Battlefield, and The Dutch Reformed Mother Church and Kimberley Seventh-day Adventist Church which are now provincial heritage sites.
One of Kimberley’s famous natural features is Kamfers Dam, a natural heritage site, consisting a large wetland supporting a breeding colony of Lesser Flamingos. Kimberley also forms a gateway to other Northern Cape destinations such as the Mokala National Park, nature reserves, game farms, and historic sites. Other attractions include Kimberley Golf Course, Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre, Magersfontein Battlefield Museum, and the Kimberley ghost trail that reveals all the haunted corners of the city.
Browse through the establishment listings to find your ideal Kimberley accommodation. As jy in Afrikaans wil bespreek, kan LekkeSlaap jou help. Soek vir Kimberley akkommodasie.
