A former mining city, among mountains and plantations
The city of Mbeya is a former mining center, founded for gold prospectors heading to the Lupa goldfields, north of the urban center. Today the city owes its importance to its location along the railway line, which makes it one of the main transit hubs between Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia.
Mbeya is also called the “Scotland of Africa”, because it sits at 1,700 meters above sea level and is surrounded by mountains. Among them stands out Mount Loleza with its 2,656 meters. The area is perfect for hiking and for discovering, tea, coffee, banana and cocoa plantations.