 Overview - Nelspruit and Surrounding Area
Nelspruit lies in the fertile valley of the Crocodile River about 330km east of Johannesburg. Nelspruit is the legislative capital of the province. This town is the administrative and business centre of the Lowveld and provides a perfect base from which to explore the province. It is also home to the Government Research Institute for Citrus and Subtropical Fruits, and the Lowveld Botanical Gardens. The large town of Nelspruit has interesting cultural and heritage sites including the sundial in the shape of a wagon wheel at the town hall which is a memorial to Louis Trichardt and his 1837 trek to Lourenco Marques. Legend has it that the Kruger millions could be hidden in the nearby Sudwala Caves, where the Boers stored ammunition for their heavy 94-pounder Long Tom guns. The climate and soil in the hot Lowveld valley of the Crocodile River means that Nelspruit is within a subtropical garden region, and is responsible for the growing of about one-third of the country's citrus fruits. In spring and summer innumerable bougainvilleas, bauhinias and other blooming plants transform the town into a sea of colour. Roads are lined with lilac jacaranda, purple bougainvillea and other flamboyant shrubs. The aloe flowers can be seen in the mild winter. The town itself is quite large but still very pleasant and forms a road and rail link from Pretoria and Johannesburg to Maputo in Mozambique to the south-east, and the Panorama Route and Kruger National Park to the north and north-east. The city has two airports, Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport to the north east, and the general aviation Nelspruit Airport to the south west. Kruger Mpumalanga is used for scheduled flights to Johannesburg and, less frequently, to Cape Town and other cities. The Nelspruit airport to the South West on the Kaapschehoop road is mainly used by private planes and charter companies. It has it's own tower but is controlled from the KMI Airport. Nelspruit has a new football stadium for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Its name is Mbombela Stadium and has a capacity of 46,000. The football stadium will host four FIFA 2010 world cup matches. The multi-purpose stadium, which is expected to host key soccer and rugby matches, will also be equipped with conference facilities. Nelspruit is home to Emnotweni casino situated on the way to Whiteriver. Mpower Fm, an independent English commercial radio station broadcasts from Nelspruit to the province of Mpumalanga, and the local Afrikaans radio station called "Radio Laeveld 100.5fm" broadcasts to the Lowveld area also from Nelspruit. Nelspruit and area has many hidden wonders including san art in the middle of a suburb. History of Nelspruit
Nelspruit was named after the owners of the original farm - the three brothers Nel. It began with the construction of a station up the Crocodile River valley, built on their farm. Nelspruit was established as a railhead of the first section of construction on the railway from Mozambique to Pretoria. Hugh Lanion Hall (1858-1940) arrived in the area in 1890 and established one of the greatest citrus and subtropical fruit estates in the country, which today is know by the name of Hall and Sons Limited. The bridge over the Komati River was completed at the end of May 1891 and the railhead reached Komatipoort Station on 1 July 1892. On 1 October it reached Hectorspruit Station; on 28 December it had arrived in Malelane, and it eventually reached Krokodilpoort Station in April 1892. The railhead reached Nelspruit and was put into commission on 20 June 1892. Construction continued and by 1 June 1893 it was at Alkmaar, and on 20 January 1894 at Waterval Onder. Wateval Boven was reached on 20 June 1894 and the line was completed when the last bolt was driven by President Kruger in November 1894. The legendary treasure of 'the Kruger millions' was supposedly loaded off in Nelspruit in order to stop the British from grabbing it. Legend has it that the entire treasure was carried off into the bushes and has never been seen since! The town has developed into one of the largest agricultural centers in the country, where high quality fruit such as litchis, mangoes and avocados are successfully produced. Must visit destinations
Mpumalanga, which means "land of the rising sun" in the local SiSwati language, offers you from exhilarating wildlife, to secluded mountain retreats, wild water sports and some of South Africa's most diverse and vibrant African cultures.
If you’re a mall crawler, try Riverside Mall, which has hundreds of shops, an eight-theatre cinema complex and a casino and entertainment centre. Visitors to the Lowveld National Botanical Garden can get some snappy entertainment at the crocodile farm next door. The Nelspruit Nature Reserve offers several walks through the reserve, lasting from one to six hours. The Green Heritage Hiking Trail offers a pleasant, relaxing way to enjoy the indigenous vegetation, a wide diversity of birds and small antelope. Stretching from the Promenade Centre to the Civic Centre, the one-hour walk along the Nelspruit Historical Walking Trail acquaints you with the architectural and cultural history of the town and brings interesting facets of Nelspruit's past, to life. Features include a restored ox-wagon in the library gardens, A short distance away above Nelspruit is the gold mining town of Kaapschehoop where the mist filled evenings and a herd of wild horses grazing in the town transport you into a world of yesterday. Nelspruit is perfectly situated, as a base for visiting the Kruger National Park, Pilgrim's Rest, Graskop, Barberton, Sabie and Maputo. Getting to the town is easy, as there are daily train services to Gauteng as well as flights to and from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Sports enthusiasts are well catered for in Nelspruit as the town offers bowls, tennis and a challenging golf course.
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