Sight in Klapperkop Nature Reserve
Fort Klapperkop Museum
One of the forts the Boer republic built around Pretoria after the Jameson Raid, now a small Anglo-Boer War museum on a hill above the city.
After the failed Jameson Raid, the South African Republic decided in 1896 to ring Pretoria with four forts. Fort Klapperkop, designed by German engineers from Krupp and finished in the late 1890s, sits on a ridge above the city. It never fired a shot in anger: British troops took Pretoria in June 1900 without resistance. Today it is a museum and provincial heritage site, worth a visit mainly for Anglo-Boer War enthusiasts and for the view over the city.
What to expect
The fort keeps its German-style dry moat and drawbridge. Inside are rooms set out as they were, including the ammunition store, hospital and telegraph room, with Anglo-Boer War objects and furniture on display. Outside there are stables, picnic spots, an old steam locomotive and the last tram used in Pretoria. Guided tours and school programmes can be arranged.
The fort stands in the Klapperkop Nature Reserve, about 460 hectares of hillside that has been popular with walkers, runners and cyclists.
Practical details
The fort is on Johann Rissik Drive. Event listings give museum hours as Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 3pm, but no official page with hours could be found, so phone +27 12 346 7703 before making the trip. The reserve is entered only by the Johann Rissik Drive gate and is open from 6am to 6pm.
Good to know
The reserve has a record of muggings of hikers and cyclists, which led to the restricted gate and hours, and evening visits for the city views are no longer allowed. Go in the middle of the day, drive rather than walk in, and keep valuables out of sight. Fort Schanskop, another of the four forts, is also a museum if you want to compare the two.