Discover Potchefstroom: Oak Avenue, Gardens and History

If you are considering Potchefstroom as a destination for a hotel stay, one question can help you find your bearings: would you like to discover the town mainly through its nature and gardens, or through its architecture, museums and exhibitions? Both perspectives are represented by specific named places. This lets you choose your destination based on the subjects that genuinely interest you.

Nature and gardens: different highlights

Potchefstroom is home to the longest oak avenue in Southern Africa. The OPM Prozesky Bird Sanctuary covers 72 hectares. The avenue is a distinctive landscape feature; the sanctuary’s stated area offers a different way to get a sense of the town’s natural side.

The NWU Botanical Garden adds botanical diversity to these impressions. The garden is open to the public and contains more than 1,500 plant species; this number may change over time. The grounds include the Swamp Garden, Vlei Garden, Formal Indigenous Garden, Invader Display, Evolution Garden and Succulent Rockery. These named areas show that the garden comprises several sections and displays rather than being defined by just one plant species.

Before planning a visit, please check the university’s latest information, as operations may change. The three nature-related attractions offer different points of interest: the oak avenue as a distinctive landscape feature, the sanctuary with its stated area, and the botanical garden with its species diversity and named sections.

Historic houses and their stories

Totius House was built in 1905 for Prof. Jan Lion Cachet. The Du Toit family lived in the house until 1924. It was declared a National Monument; the Totius House Museum opened in 1977. These details connect the history of the building with that of the museum, without implying that the dates refer to the same event.

If you are interested in history through personal belongings, these two objects offer a distinct perspective alongside the history of the house itself. Check the latest visitor information before your visit.

Goetz-Fleischack House was built around 1861. It is the only surviving example of an early town house that faced New Market Square. Its approximate date of construction is well before Totius House was built in 1905. Comparing the two brings two different architectural periods into focus; the distinctive feature of Goetz-Fleischack House is its orientation towards New Market Square.

Another historical perspective leads to Marthinus Wessel Pretorius. In 1858, he received the Rietfontein farm as compensation for his work as president. He built the house that now houses the President Pretorius Museum himself, with the help of an assistant. Potchefstroom thus offers both biographical information about Pretorius and a specific detail about how the museum house came to be.

Exhibitions and planning your visit

The NWU Gallery in Potchefstroom has a large exhibition space for temporary exhibitions. The NWU Botanical Garden Gallery offers a different, seasonally limited perspective on exhibitions: it opened in 2008 and is open during the summer season, as well as for smaller projects throughout the year. Check the current programme before visiting so you can take the different exhibition venues and their respective conditions into account when planning your trip.

The NWU Museum on the Potchefstroom Campus is currently undergoing renovations and will remain closed until further notice. As this status may change, check the university’s latest information before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Klerksdorp, Wolmaransstad, Orkney, Stilfontein.

View the regional travel overview: Dr Kenneth Kaunda.