Saxonwold

Saxonwold, Johannesburg

This part of Johannesburg that lies around the zoo and includes Parkview, Westcliff and Houghton is of the most beautiful in the city. It's also one of the oldest parts of Johannesburg, and Saxonwold in particular invites one to drive along its broad, winding roads lined with large, old trees.

Saxonwold is a sedate dignified neighbourhood, round the corner from the Johannesburg zoo. Saxonwold is convenient to say the least. You have easy access from the suburb to the M1 and to Jan Smuts Avenue, one of the major arteries from the city through the northern suburbs. The CBD of Johannesburg is minutes' drive from Saxonwold, particularly Braamfontein and the cultural arc, which includes the Constitutional Court, the Civic theatre, the famous Mandela Bridge that takes one into Newtown and the Market theatre and Museum Africa, make a stay in Saxonwold worthwhile.

You're close to the shopping centres of Rosebank, Hyde Park and Killarney, and the trendy villages of Parkhurst, Greenside and Melville are within easy reach. With their distinctive pavement culture, popular restaurants and cafés and celebrated nightlife, they're an obvious choice for evening and lunch time entertainment. There is a pretty mix of antique shops and boutiques along the high streets too.

The Johannesburg Zoo, a sprawling 54 hectare park filled with trees and green spaces in central Parktown, is an added attraction. The beautiful walks and impressive collection of animals that include lions, tigers, gorillas, bat-eared foxes and polar bears, day and night safaris and a behind-the-scenes tour, make the zoo a popular choice, even without children.