History, natural, cultural & built heritage

  The first European to reach Lushoto was the missionary Johann Ludwig Krapf who in 1846 was given a warm welcome by King Kimweri I. In 1886 the German colonialist entered the Usambaras and persuaded the local chiefs to sign away their domain for a pittance. The subsequent German advance was made easier because in the later half of the fifteenth century, Usambara was racked by chaos. The slave trade had started to invade the mountains, while at the asame time the Sambaa- kilindi dynasty was caught up in a civil war against the Bondei tribe who wanted independence.

Usambara tea plantation

  After consolidating their rule, the German colonial government founded today's Lushoto in 1898 as "Wilhelmsthal" (after the name of German Emperor) which became an important centre of colonial settlement and plantation agriculture. Located at 1,400m above sea level, the climate is cool and subtropical and up to independence much favored by European settlers. In 1912, the district already had 13 plantations growing vegetables, fruits, tea, coffee, and a variety of other food crops.

The first colonial Hospital in Lushoto

 Lushoto is the administrative centre of the western Usambara mountains and has several colonial buildings that are still being used, such as the former district office (still the same today) and the historical post office (built in 1913), as well as several solid European style residential plantation houses scattered in the surrounding valleys of the Usambara Mountains.