In Cape Town, locals call it the Boomslang — a 426-foot walkway that winds through the treetops at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain in South Africa. This elevated path gives visitors a unique, elevated view of one of the world’s most celebrated botanical gardens. The structure is made from galvanized steel components, with pine-slat flooring and handrails of sustainably harvested Padauk wood. Set within the Arboretum and shaped like a crescent that weaves among branches and tree trunks, its highest point rises nearly three stories above the forest floor.
While visiting, be sure to explore the garden’s art offerings. The Sculpture Garden hosts a permanent collection of African stone sculptures created in the Zimbabwean Shona tradition. Bronze animal sculptures by Dylan Lewis are displayed in the Centre for Home Gardening. Near the pepper-bark tree planted by Nelson Mandela during his 1996 visit stands a bust of the late president by artist John Francis Gardner. Various indoor spaces within the garden also present rotating exhibitions of art and photography, adding cultural depth to the botanical experience.