Overview

The city of Harare is the largest, and capital city of Zimbabwe, formerly known as Salisbury. The city sits on a plateau at an elevation of 4,865 feet above sea level with a subtropical climate. It is the administrative, commercial, manufacturing, communications, and educational center of the country. It serves as Zimbabwe’s seat of government. The city is brimming with art galleries, fascinating historical relics, wildlife sanctuaries, and tons of natural beauty. It is also the food capital of the country boasting some of the best restaurants and cuisine in the country.

The wide tree-lined avenues and thoroughfares of Harare are filled with numerous sprawling verdant parks and colorful gardens. It is home to some well-planned garden suburbs that are beautiful destinations for a pleasant stroll. The city boasts a great collection of public museums, institutions, and many of the nation’s most important historic monuments and memorials. Harare is a laid-back city with indigenous plants and blooming jacarandas that give it a lovely African summertime feel. Explore colorful Botanical Gardens, The Rhodes National Gallery, The University of Zimbabwe, excellent fine dining, comfortable accommodations, and bustling markets.

Things to see and do

The National Gallery of Zimbabwe features a collection of European paintings and traditional and contemporary African Art. It is home to a display of Shona art and stone sculptures, a valuable and interesting national collection, and hosts traveling international exhibitions. There is a small cafe on site.

The Zimbabwe Museum of Human Sciences, formerly the Queen Victoria Museum documents the archaeology of Southern Africa through the Stone Age into the Iron Age.

The National Archives houses a priceless collection of Rhodesiana and Africana in the form of diaries, newspapers, photographs, notebooks, and reports of various origins. The second-floor small gallery features a comprehensive display of some of the artifacts relating to Zimbabwe that are insightful for understanding the country’s history. There is a display on the mezzanine floor that concentrates on the first Chimurenga or Ndebele-Shona revolts from 1896-97, it puts into perspective the historical struggle for independence.

The Chapungu Sculpture Park located in Msasa Park displays the work of Zimbabwean stone sculptures, there is a vast number of rocks of black serpentine stone found throughout the country. The park was founded by Roy Guthrie in 1970 which was instrumental in promoting the work of its sculptors worldwide. The stone carvings are created by Zimbabwe’s talented artists.

The National Botanical Gardens located in Alexandra Park is a great place to visit. It is home to over 900 species of wild trees and shrubs from all over the country. Walk around the park and see Zimbabwe or Southern African plants and woodland habitats like the msasa, miombo, or less commonly the Cape fynbos.

The Mukuvisi Woodlands sits on 650 acres of indigenous Msasa and Miombo woodland is conveniently located for an initial introduction to Zimbabwe’s game life. A remarkably preserved natural woodland straddling the banks of the small Mukuvisi stream. There are a variety of bird and wildlife species such as zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, impala, tsessebe, bushbuck, steenbuck, reedbuck, and eland. There is also a wide variety of birdlife and indigenous flora.

Go Golfing at the Royal Harare Golf Course, an 18-hole championship course that also hosts the Zimbabwe Open every year, part of the Sunshine Tour. The fairways are set in Msasa woodland with occasional antelope feeding on the grass.

Go to Mbare Musika Market the city’s largest and most colorful market where shoppers can find fresh produce, local art, assorted goods, and authentic souvenirs. There is a large collection of neo-traditional sculptures, wooden crafts, and basketry found here.

Shopping

Harare has some good shopping opportunities to experience including plenty of bustling markets like Avondale Market, Upmarket, Old Stables Market, Queen of Hearts, Chisi Walk, and Mbare Market. The city is a great place to shop for unique souvenirs with lots of locally produced art, handmade crafts, and traditional African sculpture and wooden masks.

There are several destinations around the city where some great shops can be found including Doon Estate, Uwminsdale, Mbare Musika, and Msasa Park. Luxury shops can be found on Fife Avenue, Sam Nujoma (Union) Avenue, Arundel Village, Avondale, Borrowdale, Eastgate, and Westgate. The luxury shops in the city are mostly concentrated in the wealthier Northern suburbs with stores commanding high prices.

The Borrowdale and Borrowdale Brooke neighborhoods are among the most sophisticated places in town featuring upscale shopping opportunities, high-end dining, and entertainment options. There are conventional shopping centers located in Harare including Sam Levy’s Village, Arundel Village, Avondale Shopping Center, Westgate, and Eastgate.

Sports

The city of Harare has long been regarded as Zimbabwe’s sports capital due to its role in developing Zimbabwean sports, the range and quality of its sporting events and venues, as well as its high rates of spectatorship participation. Harare is home to more professional sports teams competing at national and international levels, than any other Zimbabwean cities.

Football is the most popular sport in the city of Harare, the city produces many footballers that have gone on to play in the English Premier League and other teams around the world. The main football stadiums in Harare are National Sports Stadium and Rufaro Stadium. It is also home to the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League clubs Dynamos F.C., Harare City, Black Rhinos F.C., and CAPS United F.C.

Cricket and Rugby are also popular sports in Harare, it is home to Harare Sports Club ground and hosted many Test, One Day Internationals, and T20 Cricket matches. The city also hosted most of the sixth All-Africa Games and several matches in the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup at Harare Sports Club. The popular team in the city is the Mashonaland Eagles which play in the Logan Cup tournament. The Eagles are coached by renowned former Zimbabwe national cricket team batsman Grant Flower.

Dining

Harare is the majestic capital of Zimbabwe and is known as the food capital drawing food lovers from all over the world. The bustling capital still retains a lot of its old charm and boasts a wealth of varied restaurants to check out. There are some excellent restaurants to choose from in Harare with some excellent authentic dishes to choose from.

Typical Zimbabwean menus feature steak as a prominent item, the beef in this country tastes exceptionally good. There are plenty of freshwater fish options to choose from, as well as the freshest vegetables around. Dishes here are filled with delectable flavors from a rich history and diverse cultures, there are many unique dishes and distinct tastes to choose from.

The cuisine is characterized by an intense variety of flavors and textures with the use of many herbs and spices that make the dishes stand out. There are many meat options available like chicken, pig, cow, goat, and sheep that are used to make different types of stews accompanied by various ingredients of vegetables, and potatoes. Fish is usually cooked on teh grill and served with rice or corn, as well as different types of vegetables.

There are a number of British restaurants with British cuisine in the city. One of the staple dishes in the country is sadza which is a thick white porridge made from white porridge sort of like mashed potatoes, made with corn (maize) meal, eaten for lunch and dinner.

Nightlife

The capital city offers a vibrant, infamous nightlife, referred to as the entertainment city dominated by upscale restaurants, and dazzling nightclubs and bars. There are a variety of venues to choose from with laid-back jazz and blues clubs, and restaurants with bumping nightclubs with an ever-revolving lineup of DJs and bands. These places are scattered throughout the city, with a cluster of clubs in the newer Sam Levy Village area in Borrowdale, like a strip mall. Many new establishments offer live music, dance clubs, sports bars, jazz clubs, pool bars, cafes, and restaurants. The city is considered the city that never sleeps and is the place for a night of fun out on the town with a variety of choices and wholesome entertainment. The Westgate Mall is located in the heart of the city, and is the ideal party place, there are bars and restaurants along with live music.