Harare
The capital city of Zimbabwe, Harare, is a beautiful, open city high on the country's central plateaus. It is a city of modern buildings, wide thoroughfares, numerous parks and gardens. There is strong appreciation for the city's cultural and historical heritage and some older buildings have been preserved. The National Gallery houses a valuable and interesting national collection, hosts travelling international exhibitions, and has a permanent display of some outstanding Shona soft-stone carvings. The priceless collection of Rhodesiana and Africana in the form of diaries, notebooks and reports of various origins, are housed in the National Archives. Other institutions worth visiting include Queen Victoria Museum and Queen Victoria National Library, both at Civic Center in Rotten Row. The National Botanic Garden displays more than 900 species of wild trees and shrubs from all over the country. The Mukuvisi Woodlands is remarkably preserved natural woodland astride the small Mukuvisi stream. Stroll around the open flea-market at Mbare for a colorful array of baskets, food, clothing and other items. View the city from The Kopje, a granite hill rising above the southwest corner of central Harare.