☰Church Square

Church Square (Kerkplein) is the historic heart of Pretoria, a large open plaza that has been the civic centre of the city since its founding in 1855. In the middle stands the famous statue of Paul Kruger by Anton van Wouw, guarded by four bronze burghers of the old South African Republic. The square is ringed by some of Pretoria's most important buildings: the sandstone Palace of Justice (where Mandela and his co-accused were tried in the Rivonia Trial, 1963–64), the Raadzaal (the old Transvaal parliament), the Ou Kapitol and the old Reserve Bank. Church Street, which runs across the square, is the main axis of old Pretoria and one of the longest straight streets in the world at over 26 km.