Pretoria is know as the Jacaranda City because of the thousands of jacaranda trees that line the city streets and suburbs.
Each spring the city is transformed into a lilac haze of jacaranda flowers as these trees start to blossom. Towering 61m above the crest of a hill, the Voortrekker Monument is an impressive memorial to the pioneers of the previous century. Overlooking the city from Meintjies Kop is the lovely Union Buildings. It was completed in 1913 by Sir Herbert Baker and the magnificent towers, amphitheater and Grecian design have been described as one of the finest government administration complexes in the world.
The buildings and environments features terraced gardens and sweeping lawns that have seen many social and political changes in the countries history. Pretoria is a city of the old blending harmoniously with the new. Melrose House is one of the best examples of a Victorian Mansion and is the place where the Peace Treaty of Vereeniging was signed in 1902. At Paul Kruger House the president of the old "Zuid Afrikaanse Repebliek" (South African Republic or Transvaal) had his official residence. For the young at heart Pretoria also offers huge shopping malls, flea markets with exotic arts and crafts and exciting nightlife.
