Victory Park

Hidden between Delta Park and the Johannesburg Botanical Garden, you will find the quiet leafy suburb of Victory Park, regarded as one of the safest suburbs in Johannesburg where residents aren’t afraid to take long leisurely walks in one of the numerous parks around. One Jozi’s oldest suburbs, and bordering trendy areas like Greenside and Linden, Victory Park enjoys incredible birdlife with its majestic old trees and location close to the the botanical garden.

Houses are generally large and most renovated homes feature high ceilings and original parquet wooden floors. Victory Park lies in the centre of what is arguably the green belt of the northern suburbs. Delta Environmental Centre, an educational centre that hosts workshops and demonstrations for school groups and other learners about different aspects of the natural environment and wildlife protection, lies on the one end.

Green spaces include the Florence Bloom Bird Sanctuary, Emmarentia Dam and the Johannesburg Botanical Garden. Take a few hours of peace and quiet on a walk through the rolling grasslands and woodlands. If you enjoy mountain biking this is the perfect place to start a loop around the Braamfontein Spruit trail, which skirts along the bottom of Delta Park.

Don’t be surprised to find horse riders also following the same route. Birdwatchers should keep their binoculars handy as there are more than 180 species listed on the park’s birding list, including all kinds of waterfowl, warblers and sparrowhawks. And if you are lucky you might even spot one of the resident owls.

If you’re looking for a restaurant or a quick coffee, you are spoilt for choice either at nearby Linden or Greenside. Be sure to stop by The Whippet or The Fat Zebra, both known for their large breakfast selection and delicious cakes and coffees made with locally sourced ingredients.

Between Victory Park and Linden you will also come across the Saint Charles Catholic Church, a famous landmark known as the “Lemon Squeezer” for it’s resemblance to this object. The church’s stained-glass windows and its unusual architecture make it worth a visit.