Voortrekker Monument
The huge Voortrekker Monument in Tshwane is a unique cultural and historic attraction that draws some 200 000 visitors annually. Built to commemorate the Voortrekker pioneers and their journey - the Great Trek, it is located on a hill in a nature reserve south of Pretoria.
The building was designed by architect Gerard Moerdijk to commemorate the bravery and persistence of the Afrikaner pioneers, who embarked north on the Great Trek between 1835 and 1854, from the British-controlled Cape Colony.
Voortrekker Monument, Pretoria. Photo courtesy Gauteng Tourism Authority
The 40m-tall granite monument houses the Hall of Heroes that retraces the journey of the Voortrekkers from the time they left the Cape Colony in their columns of ox-wagons, and depicts the tribulations they endured.
Inside, a bronze sculpture of an Afrikaner woman and her two children is a tribute to the female Voortrekkers who made the eventual settlement of the Afrikaner community possible.
On the eastern corner of the monument lies the foundation stone laid on 16 December 1938 by three descendants of the Voortrekker leaders.
Each year Afrikaners flood the museum on December 16 to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Blood River, where the Afrikaners defeated the Zulus. Such is the importance of that historic day for the Afrikaans community that the Voortrekker Monument is built so that a ray of sunshine falls on the inscription “Ons vir jou, Zuid Afrika” (We for you, South Africa) on the Shrine of Honour in the Hall of Heroes, throughout that day.
The monument also serves as an ideal venue for classical music and choral performances. With its fantastic acoustics, the Hall of Heroes can accommodate up to 600 people and is equipped with a digital Allen organ.
The second level in the monument, known as Cenotaph Hall, can house up to 900 people and is well suited to art exhibitions. With its architecture and acoustics, the monument can also be used as a distinctive venue for wedding ceremonies.
Facilities on the site include horse rides, a picnic site, conference and function venues. Also enjoy delicious lunch at the Monument Function Centre, call +27 (0)12 321 6230/70/71.
Visiting hours
Monday to Sunday
May 1 – Aug 31: 08h00 – 17h00
Sept 1 – April 30: 08h00 – 18h00
Admission
Adults: R40 per person
School groups: R20 per student
Children under 18: R20
Families: R100
Cars and motorbikes: R20
Mini buses: R22
Buses: R50
Bicycles and hikers: R20 and Friends of VTM enter free on presentation of their membership card
Picnic area: R5 per person
Pensioners: R20
Heritage levy: R5
Directions
Eeufees Road off the N14 just outside Pretoria. See the map below.
