Forest Town - From Roots to Rooftops

ABOUT

Forest Town is a small village-like suburb nestled between Parktown, Westcliff and Saxonwold in the heart of old Johannesburg. The area was first surveyed on land known as Sachsenwald (named after Otto von Bismarck’s estate in Germany) and was later anglicised to Saxonwold, when a small forest of trees was planted to provide timber for the mining industry.  

Although Forest Town’s houses are smaller than the grand mansions of Parktown and Westcliff, the streets are shaded by towering trees (as befits the suburb’s name) and the houses boast pretty gardens and a wide range of architecture that incorporates a variety of styles and periods. 

Join your guide Brian McKechnie for a delightful walking tour through this enchanting enclave that showcases some of the contemporary cultural institutions in the suburb, includingthe Holocaust and Genocide Centre and the Johannesburg Contemporary Art Foundation, as well as houses designed by Pancho Guedes, Pierre Swanepoel, Studio Mass and Activate Architects. 

Please note, this is a morning walk (to avoid the heat). Be sure to bring along plenty of drinking water, and wear good walking shoes, a hat and sunscreen.

DIRECTIONS