Springs combines a distinctive Art Deco heritage with a green park and a literary connection. The city is known for its Art Deco architecture, while Pioneer Park features a mine shaft, a lake, gardens and a windmill. Nadine Gordimer’s birthplace adds a third cultural dimension. If you’re looking for a destination with several themes to explore, Springs can be viewed from three different angles: architecture, green space in the city and literary history.

A green side of Pioneer Park

Pioneer Park is in Springs and is considered a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city. The grounds are laid out around an ivy-covered mine shaft. They include a tree-lined lake, aloe gardens, a stone bridge, streams and fountains; the park also has an authentic, working Dutch windmill. Nature and built features come together here: the shaft at the heart of the grounds, water in several forms and the windmill as a distinctive structure. For travellers looking for a quieter, greener side of a city stay, the park offers a different focus from the architecture.

Art Deco in different forms

Springs is known for its Art Deco architecture. Streamlined, tropical and industrial Art Deco elements combine with a more restrained classical style. The architecture is therefore not limited to a single form: alongside the various Art Deco elements is a quieter classical note. One specific example is the Central Fire Station in Springs. It opened on 13 July 1938 and is an example of the Art Deco architectural style. Springs thus offers both a citywide architectural theme and a named, dated building as a point of reference.

Explore the architecture independently

A self-guided walking or driving route through Springs can include up to 30 interesting Art Deco examples. The 1938 Springs Fire Station is the starting point for the route; no formal tours are available. The options are therefore clear: you can explore the examples independently on foot or by car, rather than planning a formal tour. “Up to 30” describes a possible scope, not a fixed number that every route must include. This is useful if you’d like to shape your own exploration of the architecture without relying on a guided tour.

A literary connection to Springs

Springs is considered the birthplace of Nadine Gordimer, the South African Nobel Prize-winning author. This biographical connection links the place to literary history and adds another cultural dimension to its architectural heritage. If you’d also like to take literary history into account when choosing a destination, Gordimer’s origins are a specific connection to Springs.

When looking for a hotel in Springs, you can consider these highlights: would you like architecture to shape your stay above all, or are the park or literary connection more important to you?

Discover more destinations: Springs New, Olifantsfontein, Kempton Park, Alberton, Boksburg, Germiston.

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