Free: All time
Just 6km from Johannesburg’s city centre, Emmarentia Dam and the surrounding botanical gardens provide an open space and recreational area for Joburgers and visitors alike. A popular weekend picnicking site, the park is touted as one of the best places in the city to walk your dog, jog or ride a bike. Johannesburg Botanical Gardens dates back 1866. The farm “Braamfontein” was owned by the Geldenhuys family, who contracted landless Boers to build the main dam after the South African War. The dam was named after Louw Geldenhys’s wife, Emmarentia. The gardens were founded around this time too, so the 30,000 trees found within are well-established.
Address: Street name and number, City name and postcode if available
Opening hours: Daily sunrise – sunset
Phone: +27 (0)11 712 6600
Website: www.jhbcityparks.com/index.php/conservation-contents-95/botanical-gardens-contents-96
Photo credit: NJR ZA, Derek Keats
