Bulawayo

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Bulawayo is Zimbabwe's second largest city. Located in the South-west of the country, it is home to more than a million people. Bulawayo is the hub of the province of Matabeleland which comprises the whole western Zimbabwe from the South African border in the south to Victoria Falls in the north. The city has wide tree lined streets and is surrounded by beautiful parks, a legacy of Cecil John Rhodes. Within the city are many examples of early Victorian buildings which are maintained by the Bulawayo City council and landlords as heritage sites.

Bulawayo is the centre of an area steeped in the visible remains of a fascinating history. Within its pages are found: the story of local geology, the stunning art of ancient artists, the remains of a great African state, the bloodstained history of two remarkable African kings and the slow transition to the modern city through the traders, the hunters, the missionaries and the ox-wagons of the 19th century.

One of Zimbabwe's major tourist attractions is the Matobo National Park, less than an hour's drive from the city. As one leaves the city traveling south, many granite outcrops are seen. They increase in number and size as the distance from the city grows. By the time the Park is entered one is surrounded by a dramatic and enveloping scenery that is unique and extraordinary.

Matobo is a place where erosion is tearing at the very core of the country, a place where the heart-rock is exposed to the elements, a place where, as it is destroyed, a great beauty is created. Set in a sea of fascinating rock formations, the park contains many historical sites (the burial site of Cecil John Rhodes, as well as Leander Starr Jameson, Sir Charles Coghlan and the memorial of the Shangani Patrol).

Updated 05/10/2003

Ó2002,2003 Hal Bickham