Quick search
CTRL+K
Quick search
CTRL+K
Blantyre is the largest city to the south in Malawi, and it is among other Malawi’s economic locomotives, and this is also the place to visit the country’s national museum and Carlsberg’s brewery in Africa. Blantyre is named after the city in Scotland where David Livingstone was born. The city’s cathedral stands as a monument from that era.
A trip to Blantyre and thereby Malawi is a fantastic encounter with unforgettable scenery, culture and population. The country’s most significant and interesting cities to visit is the capital Lilongwe and the older and other large city of Blantyre.
During a visit to Malawi, beautiful Malawi Lake is also a natural stop on the journey with its many panoramas and activities. The lake is great like a sea in the country, and the natural beauty of the lake has another dimension in the water; it is the lake in the world with the greatest variety of species. Wildlife in abundance can be seen as well in national parks around country.
St. Michael & All Angels Church is an impressive brick church was built in the years 1888-1891 by the mission in Blantyre on the site of the area’s original Scottish mission. It is a Presbyterian church under the Central Afrikan Presbyritanske Kirke/Church of Central Africa, Presbyritarian, consisting of five synods, of which this is the synod in Blantyre.
The church was designed by David Clement Scott, who had no formal architectural training, and the construction was carried out by locals who had not previously constructed similar buildings. The bricks were also produced locally, so the church arose on Blantyre’s terms.
The beautiful church building with the double towers in the facade has an associated bell tower, which stands separately to the north of the church. All around are houses that originally housed various facilities such as a school and a printing house.
Museum of Malawi is the national museum in Malawi, where you find various artifacts and stories from the country’s history. The exhibition is wide-ranging and includes everything from a royal ceremonial chair from the 16th century to modern means of transport.
Mandala House was built in 1882 and is the oldest surviving house in Malawi. It was built by the Mandala Company, which was founded in 1878 by brothers John and Frederick Moir from Scotland. The Mandala Company was the trading company of the African Lakes Company, which had its headquarters in Glasgow and its African headquarters in Blantyre. The Mandala Company had branches over large parts of the country, and it traded in coffee, clothes and ammunition, among other things.
The Moir brothers used the ground floor of Mandala House for offices, while the first floor was their residence. In case of inter-tribal unrest, locals also used the house, which provided protection with its walls.
The African Lakes Company continuously sold off companies, and in 1992 their engine division was sold to a French company, which thereby also became the owner of Mandala House. One floor of the house is currently used by the Society of Malawi, which has a library and archive with a lot of historical material here. In addition to that, the house itself is particularly atmospheric and stands as a monument to the early European era in the country.
Malawi’s railway history began at the beginning of the 20th century, when Blantyre, as the British protectorate’s most important economic city and area, had to be linked in terms of transport with the shipping traffic that, among other things, sailed Chiromo and Lake Malawi.
The Shire Highlands Railway Company was formed by investors from Blantyre, and they were granted a concession to build a railway between Port Herald and Fort Johnston via Blantyre, among other places. First section from Port Herald and Chiromo opened in 1904, while the railway reached Blantyre in 1909; after the British South African Company had had to take over the plant.
In 1914 the railway was extended from Port Herald to the banks of the Zambezi River, where shipping via the port town of Beira could be carried out. Later, Blantyre and thereby Malawi was connected by rail to the port city of Nacala, and this line is still in operation. Blantyre is also connected to Lilongwe, but there are no passenger trains.
Michuru Nature Sanctuary is a nature reserve located in the northwestern part of Blantyre on Mount Michiru on the edge of the Great Rift Valley. In the area, you can take a closer look at Malawi’s nature, and Michiru is known, among other things, for its many birds.
Michiru Mountain is the closest nature to the big city of Blantyre, and it is the only place in the area where you can experience some of the original forest. The mountain has a height of 1,460 meters and there are many hiking routes to enjoy. From the mountain there is a magnificent view, and you can, among other things, go to the large cross that has been erected here.
Lake Malawi is Africa’s third largest lake and, together with the country’s national parks, it is Malawi’s greatest natural attraction. Lake Malawi was first discovered by Europeans by Portuguese Candido José da Costa Cardoso, while Scottish David Livingstone came here in 1859, and he named it Lake Nyasa, which is actually just two words for the same thing. Malawi was later called Nyasaland after the lake.
Lake Malawi is the southernmost of the lakes in the East African Rift Valley, and it borders Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. It is known as the world’s most species-rich lake in terms of fish. The lake is about 570 kilometers in length and up to 75 kilometers in width, while the maximum depth is 706 meters.
A historical curiosity around Lake Malawi was the short naval battle that took place during the First World War. During the battle, the English gunboat SS Gwendolen sank the lone German gunboat Hermann von Wissmann.
Today, Lake Malawi is a colossal recreational area that is easily accessible from, for example, the capital Lilongwe. You can drive east through Salima to Senga Bay, which is like a resort by the lake. Here there is a sandy beach and the possibility of many activities such as a swim or a boat trip. In the lake there is also snorkelling, diving, water skiing and much more depending on where you visit it.
The area at Senga Bay also offers good nature experiences for those who just want to enjoy the area in a relaxed way. The waves wash over the beach, which is surrounded by hills, mountains and cliffs. On the horizon you can see islands in the lake and both Malawi and Mozambique on the opposite shore.
Zomba was the first capital of first British Central Africa and then Nyasaland, which Malawi was called before independence in 1964. Zomba was also the capital of independent Malawi in the period from 1964 to 1974, when Lilongwe achieved this status. Parliament also remained in Zomba until 1994.
Compared to Lilongwe and Blantyre, Zomba is a smaller and more manageable city, where you can experience a lot of colonial architecture from the British years. Visitors to Zomba often also use the stay for a trip to the mountain Zomba Plateau.
Lilongwe is the capital of Malawi, which is a country with possibilities to enjoy and explore the magnificent scenery, wildlife, culture and population of Malawi. The country’s largest and most significant cities are the capital Lilongwe and the country’s oldest city, Blantyre.
Lilongwe is the capital that, through most of Malawi’s colonial period, was a smaller village. Since the country’s independence in 1966 a lot has happened, so today you can see fine monuments, Malawi’s parliament and other major institutions in the city’s northern city center.
Kamuzu Highway
Kenyatta Drive
Victoria Avenue, Chilembwe Street, Glynn Jones Road
Museum of Malawi
Kasungu Crescent
Senga Bay
Salima, Lake Malawi
The name Lilongwe comes from the river that cuts through the capital and the word comes from the language of the Nyanja people. Already in the 9th century, Bantu tribes settled in present-day Malawi, and centuries before the European colonization of the country, a smaller fishing village had emerged on the winding lakes of the Lilongwe River, and relatively few people lived here compared to today’s growing capital. Elsewhere in the lush country, there were settlements; as there had been through thousands of years.
Today is Lilongwe Malawi’s capital, but it was southern Malawi that was the focus of most of the development in the country’s early colonial history.
In 1876, the town of Blantyre was founded and named after a town in Scotland from which the missionaries who established themselves in today’s Malawi came. In addition, Blantyre in Scotland was the city in which David Livingstone was born. The new Blantyre gained higher British status in 1883, and in 1895 the city gained the status of an actual market town, making it the oldest modern city in Malawi.
By 1891, the British had also come to the area of Lake Malawi and colonized it under the name British Central Africa Protectorate. It was still not the center of Lilongwe, as the British expanded its governance and economic center in Blantyre to the south. One of the major commodities through Blantyre at that time was ivory.
In the first decades of the 20th century, only a few thousand inhabitants lived in Lilongwe, while Blantyre, on the other hand, grew rapidly. However, that would soon change for Lilongwe due to various factors.
Most important of all was Lilongwe’s location. It was located on the intersection of Lusaka and Lake Nyasa (now Lake Malawi) in an east-west direction and between the country’s then two most important cities, Mzuzu and Blantyre to the north and south respectively. It was also possible to navigate the waterway to Lake Nyasa, and the area was also good for the important tobacco cultivation.
It was thus a small but strategically well-chosen city, which the British, after a few decades, chose to put in their colony administration when they chose Lilongwe. It had until the 1930s became a few thousand inhabitants.
The decades of the mid-20th century stood for signs of independence in the British colony called Nyasaland. One of the key people on the path to freedom was Dr. Hastings Banda, who after a few years abroad returned to Nyasaland and became politically active with the goal of making the country independent of British rule.
Banda was appointed prime minister on February 1, 1963, and three years later he was able to take office as president of the Republic of Malawi; a position he contested for 1994, whereby his policy came to define the foundations of the new country.
Malawi became an independent country in 1966, and since then the development has gone strong with Lilongwe’s population. In 1977, there were still less than 100,000 people living here, and that is a figure that has doubled in three decades thereafter.
Population growth is not least due to the urbanization seen all over the world. In Malawi too, the younger generations are affected by fewer economic, job and educational opportunities in rural areas, and this increases the migration to the capital, which has also benefited from, for example, South African investments and the development of the tobacco industry.
Among the newer investments in the cityscape is the large new parliament, whose buildings were inaugurated in 2010 after just one year of construction.
Lilongwe is Malawi’s capital, political center, while one of the country’s major economic engines is the city of Blantyre to the south of the country. Blantyre is historically the most significant in Malawi, and thus there are some institutions located here rather than in the capital. This applies, for example, to the Supreme Court, polytechnic and the country’s home ground at international football matches, which are also located in Blantyre.
There are thus two centers in the country today. Both Blantyre and Lilongwe, both experiencing population growth and economic development. As a political capital, Lilongwe’s development is steady, while Blantyre, with the country’s largest white population among others, remains the locomotive of much trade, production and education.
Overview of Blantyre
A trip to Malawi is a fantastic encounter with Africa and the continent’s magnificent scenery, culture and population. The country’s most significant and interesting cities to visit is the capital Lilongwe and the older city of Blantyre.
Blantyre to the south is among other Malawi’s economic locomotives, and this is also the place to visit the country’s national museum and Carlsberg’s brewery in Africa. Blantyre is named after the city in Scotland where David Livingstone was born. The city’s cathedral stands as a monument from that era.
About the upcoming Blantyre travel guide
About the travel guide
The Blantyre travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Malawian city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Blantyre is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Blantyre and Malawi
Buy the travel guide
Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.
Use the travel guide
When you buy the travel guide to Blantyre you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.
St Michael & All Angels • National Museum • Zomba • Lake Malawi
Overview of Blantyre
A trip to Malawi is a fantastic encounter with Africa and the continent’s magnificent scenery, culture and population. The country’s most significant and interesting cities to visit is the capital Lilongwe and the older city of Blantyre.
Blantyre to the south is among other Malawi’s economic locomotives, and this is also the place to visit the country’s national museum and Carlsberg’s brewery in Africa. Blantyre is named after the city in Scotland where David Livingstone was born. The city’s cathedral stands as a monument from that era.
About the upcoming Blantyre travel guide
About the travel guide
The Blantyre travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Malawian city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Blantyre is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Blantyre and Malawi
Buy the travel guide
Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.
Use the travel guide
When you buy the travel guide to Blantyre you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.
Mandala House was built in 1882 and is the oldest surviving house in Malawi. It was built by the Mandala Company, which was founded in 1878 by brothers John and Frederick Moir from Scotland. The Mandala Company was the trading company of the African Lakes Company, which had its headquarters in Glasgow and its African headquarters in Blantyre. The Mandala Company had branches over large parts of the country, and it traded in coffee, clothes and ammunition, among other things.
The Moir brothers used the ground floor of Mandala House for offices, while the first floor was their residence. In case of inter-tribal unrest, locals also used the house, which provided protection with its walls.
The African Lakes Company continuously sold off companies, and in 1992 their engine division was sold to a French company, which thereby also became the owner of Mandala House. One floor of the house is currently used by the Society of Malawi, which has a library and archive with a lot of historical material here. In addition to that, the house itself is particularly atmospheric and stands as a monument to the early European era in the country.
Malawi’s railway history began at the beginning of the 20th century, when Blantyre, as the British protectorate’s most important economic city and area, had to be linked in terms of transport with the shipping traffic that, among other things, sailed Chiromo and Lake Malawi.
The Shire Highlands Railway Company was formed by investors from Blantyre, and they were granted a concession to build a railway between Port Herald and Fort Johnston via Blantyre, among other places. First section from Port Herald and Chiromo opened in 1904, while the railway reached Blantyre in 1909; after the British South African Company had had to take over the plant.
In 1914 the railway was extended from Port Herald to the banks of the Zambezi River, where shipping via the port town of Beira could be carried out. Later, Blantyre and thereby Malawi was connected by rail to the port city of Nacala, and this line is still in operation. Blantyre is also connected to Lilongwe, but there are no passenger trains.
Michuru Nature Sanctuary is a nature reserve located in the northwestern part of Blantyre on Mount Michiru on the edge of the Great Rift Valley. In the area, you can take a closer look at Malawi’s nature, and Michiru is known, among other things, for its many birds.
Michiru Mountain is the closest nature to the big city of Blantyre, and it is the only place in the area where you can experience some of the original forest. The mountain has a height of 1,460 meters and there are many hiking routes to enjoy. From the mountain there is a magnificent view, and you can, among other things, go to the large cross that has been erected here.
Similar to Blantyre Travel Guide
