Be a tourist in your own city

Almost every city, town and dorp has a ‘Main Street’ or ‘High Street”. This name is usually given to a centrally located street which is the chief thoroughfare for trade, commerce and traffic.

Main Street in Johannesburg reflects the rich history of the city in terms of gold mining, politics, the finance sector, legal expansion, transportation and significant personalities. Main Street also represents the economics of a city, manifested by the decay and rejuvenation within a metropolitan area.

Now partly for pedestrians only, Main Street in the Central Business District stretches from the Magistrates Court to Gandhi Square, where Mohandas Gandhi had his legal offices. The street is lined with a variety of building styles and interspersed, are old mining equipment and artwork. The African Christmas Tree Promenade not only celebrates the season of peace and goodwill, but the creativity of local artists using a variety of interesting materials related to mining.

Join the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation on a tour of Main Street with Pascale J. Petit at 2pm on 14 December. Park in the Nedbank parking lot and meet in the centre of Ghandi Square. It will cost members R80 and non-members pay R110. Dogs and pushchairs are not permitted.

Details: Eira Bond 011 482 3349, www.joburgheritage.co.za