Skip to content

6 Places To Visit On Mandela Day

6 historic destinations to visit on presidential icon Nelson Mandela?s 100th birthday

Bookmark article to read later

By Amy Saunders | July 9, 2018 | Travel Leisure

Pack your bags and go on a journey of discovery on Mandela day. But before you book the next flight out,  take a look at this list of 6 historic venues to visit, re-live history and celebrate the 100th birthday of presidential icon Nelson Mandela.

Capture Site

This is the site of Mandela’s arrest which is now commemorated by an artistic monument sculpture created by Marco Cianfanelli and Jeremy Rose. The sculpture is made of 50 steel columns, is nearly 10m high and when viewed from the correct angle, reveals itself as a portrait of Mandela.

 

Mandela House, Orlando West, Soweto

The culturally and historically rich Soweto is where Mandela’s family home is located on the corner of Vilikazi and Ngakane streets. Other iconic attractions to visit in the area include the Hector Pieterson memorial and the Regina Mundi Catholic Church.

 

Qunu, Eastern Cape

Even though Mandela was born in Mvezo, he grew up in Qunu. Be sure to check out the Nelson Mandela Museum to learn about how he grew up herding cattle and went on to become a renowned hero and world leader. While in the Eastern Cape, spend some time at one of the hidden gem nature reserves such as Hluleka Nature Reserve or the Dwesa and Cwebe Nature Reserves.

 

Hluleka Nature Reserve (www.visiteasterncape.co.za)

 

Liliesleaf Farm, Rivonia

Now a South African heritage site, the Liliesleaf Farm is where Mandela and other leaders from the liberation movement took shelter from the Apartheid government. The farm now has a museum with an archive and display of artefacts and educational materials and a restaurant named after the farm’s underground codename, Cedric.

 

Robben Island, Western Cape

Home to the four-square-metre cell where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison, this is perhaps South Africa’s most iconic commemorative destinations.  Take a tour of the island and visit Mandela’s prison cell, the Garrison Church and Robert Sobukwe’s house.

 

Robben Island, Facebook

 

Union Buildings

The Union Buildings is the official seat of South Africa’s government and houses The Presidency. This is also where Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa’s first democratically elected president on May 10th, 1994. Take some time out to visit the amphitheatre and admire the majestic bronze statue of Mandela.

 

Featured Image: The Capture Site (http://www.thecapturesite.co.za)

Gallery image 0Gallery image 1Gallery image 2