One of the first things you will see when approaching Johannesburg in Gauteng province, is the large mountains of yellowish dirt which came from the mines as gold was brought to the surface over the years. Another obvious landmark is the J.G. Strijdom Tower that forms an integral part of the Johannesburg skyline.



Johannesburg is where you will enter South Africa for a visit as a tourist and is also the place about 6 million people call home. Egoli, The City of Gold, is built on the richest gold reef ever disclosed. Most of the mines lie to the south and west of Johannesburg, some as deep as 3.5 kilometers (just more than 2 miles).

Johannesburg is a vibrant, brilliant, throbbing city and houses the Stock Exchange, being the Financial heart of the country. You will notice extremely affluent people in Johannesburg in areas like Houghton where Nelson Mandela lives, but also thousands living in the most poor state imaginable. Definitely a city of extraordinary contrasts.

It is not a scenic city but that is barely noted because of its very active social and arts scene. There are a number of theatres and 5 star hotels including the Sandton Sun and Towers in Sandton City, a very popular and luxurious complex.

Sellers line the streets with their wares and flea markets can be spotted at regular intervals. Anything from fresh produce to African art to Chinese mass produced trinkets can be bought here and it constitutes an important part of the "informal economy" and city life, just as the opulent malls do.

Gold Reef City, which was reconstructed on the site of Crown Mines, an abandoned mining company, seizes the core of the early gold era with theme parks, museums, bars and lodging and are one of the few places where you can attend a dance by miners in traditional apparel in the Gold Mine Museum. You can also come here to see a real bar of gold being poured! Not a lot of people have that privilege. Decidedly worth a visit with lots to do for just about everybody. Be sure to spend at least a day.

There are different large soccer stadiums sprinkled throughout Johannesburg as this is a very popular sport and the stadiums are being updated and new ones built in preparation for the Soccer World Cup in 2010 which will take place in South Africa.

Bruma Lake is like a little town consisting of restaurants, pubs and specialty shops in a setting surrounding a small lake with a stunning water feature and one can easily spend a day there.

Johannesburg Zoo is worth a visit as well with a large selection of rare African animals, birds and reptiles. If your timing is right, you may be treated to a Saturday of Art in the Park where up and coming artists and established artists alike display their pieces in a special outdoor setting. Original art is still very inexpensive and not that tough to find at all.

About an hour from the city one can find an art trail where you can visit various art studios and can even join in the experience of an artist making a fabulous piece. Mixed in with the studios are very elegant tearooms with wonderful home-baked pastries and delicacies, to enjoy a drink and rest the exhausted legs. In the same neck of the woods is Hartebeespoort Dam which is worth a visit as well.

You definitely will not have a hard time finding something to do in Johannesburg and if all else fails, people watching will no doubt fascinate you. Make sure you plan your vacation to visit some of the gorgeous luxury resorts to be spoiled and pampered to make the most of your travels.