Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
Victoria Falls is a border town in western Zimbabwe . It is located in the province of Matabeleland North at around 1200 meters above sea level.
geography
Victoria Falls is located on the south bank of the Zambezi near the eponymous Victoria Falls . The city of Livingstone lies on the north bank, which belongs to Zambia . Both places are connected by a road and rail bridge that spans the 100 meter deep Zambezi gorge east of the Victoria Falls and thus the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. In 2012 the city had 33,660 inhabitants. She lives mainly from tourism with a focus on colonial nostalgia and adventure tourism.
history
The city owes its foundation indirectly to the research of the Scottish missionary David Livingstone , after whom the city on the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls is named. He is said to have stopped under the so-called Big Tree across from Princess Victoria Island in 1855, a large baobab from which one crossed the river at that time. It was not until Cecil Rhodes ' railway project that the Victoria Falls settlement developed at the beginning of the 20th century (see also: Rail transport in Zimbabwe ). The first Victoria Falls Hotel opened in 1904 and was later expanded into a luxury hotel. It was not until the 1960s that the city developed into a tourist center.
Due to its relatively isolated location in the extreme western corner of Zimbabwe, the city has hardly been affected by the political and economic unrest and by the petty crime that is spreading as the country becomes increasingly impoverished.
traffic
The Livingstone Way is the main street Victoria Falls'. It leads on one side to Bulawayo , on the other over the railway bridge to Livingstone in Zambia. The Victoria Falls airport located 18 kilometers south of the city. With a 3000 meter long runway, it is prepared for international air traffic with large aircraft. There is a night train connection to Bulawayo five times a week.
tourism
Are interesting tourist Victoria Falls itself, the highest waterfalls in Africa and UNESCO - World Heritage , as well as the nearby national parks, including the Victoria Falls National Park in Zimbabwe and the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park on the Zambian side. Various types of bungee jumping from the railway bridge, white water rafting ( e.g. in the Batoka Gorge ), scenic flights, safari tours in the surrounding national parks and big game hunts are offered. There is also a golf course and a casino.
In the city center there is a large supermarket and a fast food restaurant around which the tourism providers have grouped themselves. Most of the accommodations are less than two miles from the city and the falls.
Victoria Falls from Victoria Falls
Railway bridge over the Zambezi (1975)
Tourist attraction over the Zambezi
Souvenir shops at the entrance to the falls
fauna
Occasionally, hordes of monkeys such as baboons and wild boars come to town. In the winter dry season it happens that elephants tamper with orchards and fountains.
Web links
literature
- Paul Murray: Zimbabwe - the Bradt Travel Guide. With a foreword by Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE . Edited by Bradt Travel Guide Ltd., United Kingdom, and The Globe Prequopt Press Inc., USA. 2010, ISBN 978-1-84162-295-8
Coordinates: 17 ° 56 ′ S , 25 ° 50 ′ E