Zimbabwe Harare is also known as the Sunshine City, the African capital that is one of the lesser-known spots to spend a fun-filled vacation or plan your next trip to the continent of Africa.
Harare which was former called Salisbury, is the capital city of Zimbabwe. On the edge of landscaped Harare Gardens, the National Gallery of Zimbabwe has a large collection of African contemporary art and traditional pieces like baskets, textiles, jewelry and musical instruments. The unusual granite formation Epworth Balancing Rocks is southeast of the city. Wildlife such as zebras and giraffes roam Mukuvisi Woodlands, which has bike paths and a bird park.
Why is Harare famous?
Zimbabwe Harare is one of the good places to live or visit for tourism. The popular attractions and the top things you can do in this place include the following;
- Chiremba Balancing Rocks
Located only 13 km south east of Harare off Chiremba road, lies the Chiremba Balancing Rocks. The balancing rocks are quite amazing to see. They are beautiful natural works of art as the giant boulders are stacked on top of each other. Exploring Zimbabwe without this balancing rock of Chiremba is not worth visiting.
- National Gallery of Zimbabwe
The National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) is a gallery in Harare, Zimbabwe, dedicated to the presentation and conservation of Zimbabwe’s contemporary art and visual heritage. The original National Gallery of Rhodesia was designed and directed by Frank McEwen, a British citizen credited with bringing Shona Sculpture to the spotlight. The Gallery was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on 16 July 1957 and Queen Elizabeth II attended the sixth Zimbabwe Heritage Exhibition there in October 1991.
- Matobo hills
The area exhibits a profusion of distinctive rock landforms rising above the granite shield that covers much of Zimbabwe. The large boulders provide abundant natural shelters and have been associated with human occupation from the early Stone Age right through to early historical times, and intermittently since. They also feature an outstanding collection of rock paintings.
The Matobo Hills continue to provide a strong focus for the local community, which still uses shrines and sacred places closely linked to traditional, social and economic activities.
- National Archive of Zimbabwe
The National Archives were established by an Act of Parliament in 1935, now known as the National Archives Act 1896. The Archives are the storehouse of the nation’s documented history.
They include the archives of the former Southern Rhodesia, and are formed of a network of five regional archives divided into eight provinces. From 1953-1963, they were the central repository of the National Archives of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
- Harare Gardens
The Harare Gardens is the main garden in the City. The garden like the Aburi garden in Ghana, is very beautiful and they are an ideal place for leisure, especially if you work in the city centre. The lawns and flowers are well maintained, and there is a nice little pond on the north side of the gardens.
There is a restaurant where people are offered to take away and seated service and can enjoy the surrounding view while eating their meal. There is a basic playground for kids and ample space for them to run around and have fun in. Also available in the Harare Gardens is a wedding venue, which is a stunning place to have wedding photos taken.
The Harare Gardens also has a stage for performances such as musical and dramatics, every year the Harare International Festival of Arts is held there and attracts many visitors to this popular event.
- Kingfisher Park
The Kingfisher Animal Farm is a beautiful park situated in the heart of Harare with stunning surroundings, serene environment, spectacular sunsets and friendly accommodating staff to make your visit pleasurable and memorable.
The Animal Farm offers an opportunity to experience the outdoors and get closer to nature! To enjoy family time, while leisurely walking around the Farm, strolling through the shady trees ,relaxing, fishing in the ponds and enjoying trying for the “catch of the day” or horse riding and bonding and feeding the animals.
There is a play-ground with jungle gyms, wendy house, roundabout, swings, sand pit and slides is available for the younger children to enjoy and for the braver more adventurous youngsters – there is Paint Ball!
- Mukuvisi Woodlands
The Mukuvisi Woodlands are one of Zimbabwe’s national treasures. It provides one of the few remaining large green spaces open to the public in Harare. Visit and get a touch of the wild in the heart of the sunshine city. Mukuvisi Woodlands meaningfully contributes to the Environmental Education of Zimbabweans of all.
Mukuvisi is situated or located at 7km from the city centre of Harare along Hillside Road. Explore this Zimbabwean touch of wild in the heart of the sunshine city of Harare.
- Zimbabwe Museum of Human Science
The “Zimbabwe Museum of Human Sciences” is located at Civic Centre, Rotten Row, CY 33, Causeway Harare, Zimbabwe. This is in the area known as Harare Central, and is located close to Samora Machel Avenue. According to the Zimbabwe Embassy, The ” Museum” in Harare houses a library, exhibition galleries, and a model Shona Village, in addition to holding ethnographic and archaeological collections.
The Zimbabwe Museum of Human Sciences, formerly the Queen Victoria Museum is a museum in Harare, Zimbabwe. The museum contains the seven-hundred-year-old Lemba artifact ngoma lungundu, which some believe to be a replica of the Ark of the Covenant. It is the oldest wooden object ever found in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Thetford Game Reserve
Thetford Game Reserve is a private game park in the Mashonaland Central Province in Zimbabwe. The Game Reserve over-looks the Mazowe River. The species found at the game park include white rhino, buffalo, waterbuck, impala, zebra, blesbok, tsessebe, giraffe and duiker. Sunset Game Drives reveal some of the nocturnal animals, such as leopards, wild pigs, and porcupines.
- Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary
Twala is home to everything from lions to ostriches, serval cats, primates, reptiles, raptors and many other small mammals. All the animals and birds have been rescued. This habitat for the animals are spacious and the emphasis is on providing the very best quality of life possible for the animals. This makes for a happy, tranquil atmosphere where you will meet animals that are clearly loved and nurtured.
- The Shona Sculpture Gallery
The Shona Sculpture Gallery promotes the very best in shona sculpture. The Shona sculpture garden is a luxurious and verdant oasis in the city, a haven of tranquility and calm where visitors can enjoy works large and small by the best of Zimbabwe’s sculptors – the most famous names alongside outstanding contemporary artists.
- Ewanrigg Botanical Garden
Among the various botanical gardens in Zimbabwe, the Ewanrigg Botanical Gardens are internationally known for the wide range of both indigenous and exotic aloes and cycads and succulent plants, one of the largest collections in the world.
The overall setting is extremely attractive with the collections planted in a natural style amongst small granite kopjes where these plants flourish amidst a habitat of indigenous Miombo and brachstagia woodlands.
- Tamba Tamba
Tamba Tamba is a family run centre and which aim is to encourage family members to join in the fun with their kids. In terms of recreation, they provide a clean, safe and friendly environment for family to enjoy with their children.
As the premier play center in Harare Tamba Tamba offers a range of different activities from two large slides, a mini football and basketball pitch, ball pits, air canons with soft balls and lots of obstacles to cross and climb over.
- Mount Nyangani
The Mount Nyangani located in Harare, is a sacred place long feared by the local people for a long held belief by the local Manyika people that a vindictive spiritual presence resides there.
It is located within the breathtakingly scenic forests of the Nyanga National Park in the Eastern Highlands in Southern Africa. Its perpetually mist-covered peak gives it an imposing and mysterious appearance.
Tourist and hikers visiting the mountain needs to be guided as there has been several fatalities on the mountain when visitors have lost their way and fallen down ravines or cliffs when a mysterious fog appears out of nowhere and also reports of disappeared Hikers without a trace over many decades. The weather is said to have a malevolent mind of its own on the mountain, with gusts of wind striking at the most inopportune times.
- Ngoma Kurira
Ngoma Kurira is known to many residents of Harare as a great beauty of spiritual and cultural essential. Many of the hilltops and woodland areas have stone altars that are used by the Zionist churches as places of worship.
It is located about thirty minute drive from the capital, many visitors and tourists walk there amongst these beautiful massive granite outcrops interspersed with indigenous Miombo forest. On the side of the massive orange-colored vertical rock face of the main mountain, a giant batholith, there is some well-preserved San rock art.
Also see where to stay in Harare Zimbabwe
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