The Inner city encompasses the central districts of Johannesburg, including the tourist areas of Braamfontein, Maboneng, Newtown and Fordsburg.
Understand
The historic inner city is rich in architectural history and contains many institutions, museums and excellent art galleries. The district has a however a troubled recent past, with many residents and busnisses leaving in the years after the end of apartheid. During the late 1990s and early 2000s the inner city was in practice a no-go zone with rampant crime and destitution. However, a massive reinvestment programme in the last decade have started to rejuvenate the district.
Crime is however still an issue, and walking alone during late evenings and nights are not recommended. Also, several squatted buildings are still dotted around the inner city. These places are often safe havens for drug users and dealers. Such buildings can often be seen from a distance and a detour around them is strongly advised.
Get in
By train
The beating heart of all rail services within Gauteng region as well as intercity trains from cities across the country is the sprawling Johannesburg Park Station. MetroRail runs frequent local and regional services while Gautrain provides a fast link with Pretoria and O.R. Tambo International Airport via a easy change in Sandton.
- Johannesburg Park Station. 2020-12-20
There are several other stations within the inner city that can be of use if you are travelling to specific destinations. A few relevant stations includes:
By bus
There are plenty of buses going into the inner city, most of them convey at Gandhi Square.
- Gandhi Square bus station. 2022-09-24
Get around
See
The area is home to Johannesburg's original Chinatown 📍 on Commissioner Street, and while the community has declined considerably since the 1990s, a handful of shops and restaurants remain in the area.
Museums
- Museum Africa, 121 Lilian Ngoyi St, +27 11 833 5624. 2020-12-20
- Wits Origins Centre Museum, Yale Road and Enoch Sontonga Ave (At University of the Witwatersrand), -26.192921°, 28.028314°, +27 11 717-4700. An excellent multimedia display of the rock art and the origins of humankind. Good curio shop, book shop and coffee shop. Adults R80, students and youth R40 2018-10-07
- Constitution Hill, 11 Kotze St. 2020-12-20
- Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, -26.2046°, 28.0332°. 2020-12-21
- Fietas Museum, 25 14th St, +27 72 193 3580. Dedicated to the district of Fietas, which was the inofficial name of the district Pageview. The area was forcefully cleared of it's predominantly Indian inhabitants and largley razed during the early 1980s. 2021-02-06
- Lindfield Victorian House Museum, 72 Richmond Ave, -26.1852°, 28.0081°, +27 11 726 2932. 2021-02-07
Art galleries
Churches
- Greek Orthodox Church in Joubert Park, 74 Wolmarans St, Hillbrow. Built in 1912. 2020-12-22
- St Mary's Cathedral, 13 Wanderers St. 2020-12-22
- Friedenskirche, 38 Edith Cavell St, Hillbrow. This church was for a long time at the centre of German cultural life in Johannesburg. 2020-12-24
- Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 16 Stiemens St, Braamfontein, +27 11 339 2826. Built in 1938. 2022-09-17
Parks
- Enoch Sontonga Memorial Park, -26.1949°, 28.0244°. Large park dedicated to Enoch Sontonga (1873-1905) who in 1897 composed the Xhosa hymn Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika ("God Bless Africa"). The hymn was picked up by ANC in 1925 and has been South Africa's official anthem since 1994. 2022-09-17
Do
- Joburg Theatre, 163 Civic Boulevard. 2020-12-20
- Market Theatre, 56 Margaret Mcingana St. 2020-12-21
- Tin Town Theatre, 4 Margaret Mcingana St, -26.2087°, 28.0336°. 2020-12-24
- Rugby Union: Lions play in the United Rugby Championship (formerly Pro14), the mostly European professional league (though including three other South African sides), with a playing season Oct-March. Their home ground is Ellis Park (sponsored as Emirates Airline) Stadium, capacity 62,500, in Braamfontein district 500 m north of Jeppe railway station. The stadium is also the primary home of the Golden Lions, an effective developmental side for the URC Lions that plays in the domestic Currie Cup from January–June. (Some Golden Lions games are played at a much smaller stadium at the University of the Witwatersrand.)
Buy
- Oriental Plaza, 38 Lilian Ngoyi St. Shopping centre and tourist attraction in Fordsburg. The bazaar-like structure was built in 1974 for Indian trader after that the apartheid regime had forcefully removed them from the suburb of Parkview, or Fietas as it was known back then. 2020-12-24
Eat
There are plenty cheap hole-in-the-wall eateries and food carts within the city centre. However, options for higher end dining are limited even if there are a few gems. A more accessible option for fine dining is Sandton.
Mid range
Splurge
- The Rand Club, 33 Loveday St. Housed in a majestic club house built in 1904. While most of the building is members-only, the restaurant is open to the public. 2020-12-20
Drink
Sleep
Budget
Mid range
- 12 Decades Johannesburg Art Hotel, 286 Fox St, -26.204260°, 28.059693°, +27 861 226-787. Rooms are conceptualised to interpret each decade of Johannesburg's history. 2018-10-07
- ANEW Hotel Parktonian, 120 De Korte St, -26.1936°, 28.0393°, +27 11 403 5740. 2022-09-17
- The Bannister Hotel, 9 De Beer St, -26.1940°, 28.0346°, +27 11 403 6888. Small, trendy hotel. 2022-09-17
Splurge
Connect