Hotels, nightclubs, restaurants and bed & breakfast establishments cater for every tourist need.
And it's a dynamic commercial, educational and industrial centre, with companies that are relocating into its orbit, drawn by a quality of life not easily obtained in South Africa's larger cities.

Yet the country is never far away. Timbered hills cradle the city and the Msunduzi River races through its centre. Climb the old Voortrekker wagon road up to the plateau overlooking Pietermaritzburg from the northwest, and the lush panorama of the province stretches before you from World's View, while abundant parks and gardens keep the city permanently green. .
Pietermaritzburg has a high concentration of attractions linked to its various skeins of history than any other city in South Africa.

One of the best ways to bring local history alive is with one of the self-guided Town Trails. These are easy, comfortable walks through the city's historical centre - which includes 50 national monuments.

The city has gone to great lengths to maintain its red-brick charm and authenticity, and outstanding among the many Victorian and Edwardian buildings is the City Hall. Built in 1893, it was destroyed by fire in 1898, rebuilt, and reopened in 1901. One of the largest all-brick buildings in the southern hemisphere, it stands on the site of the original Voortrekker Raadsaal, and was declared a national monument on 27 June 1996. It houses what is to be reputed to be one of the largest organs in the southern hemisphere, and this magnificent instrument is still in demand for recitals and concert recordings. The 47m clock tower stands out as a landmark in the city centre, making it a useful point for an exploration of the city.

On the same square as the City Hall stands the Church of the Vow, built by the Voortrekkers in 1840 to commemorate their victory at Blood River in 1838. The church is now part of a Voortrekker Museum, with a unique and varied collection of Voortrekker relics, that stands alongside the rebuilt house of Voortrekker hero Andries Pretorius.

Mohandas Gandhi is woven into the fabric of Pietermaritzburg history. A striking statue in the Church Street Mall depicts him forever striding forward in commemoration of the incident in 1893 when he was evicted from a first class railway carriage at Pietermaritzburg railway station.

The Parliament Buildings in Longmarket Street are deeply rooted in history. The foundation stone was laid on 21 June 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee. Its soaring columns and copper domes reflect the grandeur of the colonial past.

The central city shopping area, intersected by a network of character lanes, is a pedestrian treat. Dating back to 1838, it was surveyed by Piet Greyling and is reminiscent of Victorian London.

Specialist shops - Africana collectors are frequent visitors - and cafes invite browsing. Look out for the old-fashioned hitching rails outside the Imperial Hotel as well as the handsome style of the Standard Bank building