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The streets of Bloemfontein are lined with magnificent sandstone architecture especially President Brand Street, which is well worth a walk down where you will find upmarket shopping centres, hundreds of restaurants and a host of nightlife opportunities.
Also home to the wildlife in the Franklin Game Reserve, the only reserve of its kind in the world, completely surrounded by city. Many impressive museums and monuments stand as testament to the history of the City. The national Women's Memorial commemorating the 27 000 women and children who perished during the Anglo-Boer War is well worth visiting.
Bloemfontein has a busy cultural and social events calendar, not to be missed, is the Macufe Festival in September, a cultural eisteddfod drawing nationally acclaimed events and artist performances. The Loch Logan Waterfront has a permanent flea market, which offers the best craft found from this region. For a true African ghetto experience, visit the historical township jazz performances.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO:
Bloemfontein Zoo & Botanical Gardens
Sand Du Plessis Theatre
National Museum (fossils & archaeological)
Women’s Memorial Monument
Anglo-Boer War Museum
Loch Logan Waterfront
Naval Hill and Franklin Game Reserve
Free State House - Premier’s residence
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ATTRACTIONS
Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Titanic Rock at north entrance of Clarens
Bushman rock art
Factories and craft shops near Harrismith
Basuto Cultural Village at Qwa-Qwa
Sterkfontein Dam
Wolhuterskop Nature Reserve in Bethlehem
Bethlehem:
The Maluti Mountains provide a dramatic backdrop for the town founded by the Voortrekkers during the 1840s.. Excellent facilities are available, including good restaurants and a varied entertainment calendar. The banks of the Jordaan River form part of the Pretoriuskloof Nature Reserve, a sanctuary for birds and small game. Bethlehem is a convenient stopover for motorists travelling to Golden Gate Park and the Drakensberg.
Clarens: "The Jewel of the Free State"
Between the high sandstone Rooiberge and the Maluti Mountains, lays the picturesque little town of Clarens. In autumn when the leaves turn to gold, the scenery is a magnet for artists and photographers. More than 50 000 beer bottles were used to build the tiny "Cinderella Castle" in Naupoort Street. On farms in the vicinity, you will find Bushman (San) paintings. Nearby, the panoramic Highland Route meanders along the foothills of the Maluti Mountains.
Clocolan:
The town has spectacular views of the Maluti Mountains. In spring, orchards of cherry trees in blossom provide an arresting sight. Several fine Bushman rock paintings and engravings found in the area. Two dams offer excellent fishing opportunities.
Ficksburg:
With magnificent views of the Maluti Mountains, and water sports and angling on the Meulspruit Dam, surrounded by a nature reserve, this is a definite suggested stop on the Sunflower belt. The dam is the starting and finishing point for the 23-km Imparani Hiking Trail. Ficksburg is a gateway to the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. One of the most exciting ways of crossing the rugged Maluti Mountain range into Lesotho is on the back of a Basotho pony.
Harrismith:
Easy to reach on the N3 and N5 routes, Harrismith is ideal as a stopover spot for a weekend getaway. Voortrekkers, transport riders and the British Army have all left their mark on Harrismith one of the oldest towns in the Free State. A petrified tree, 150 million years old, is on display. The Wild Flower Garden on the outskirts of town contains 20% of the flora of the Drakensberg.
Ladybrand:
The Catharina Brand Museum features displays relating to the history and culture of the district, including an old pharmacy. Among the other exhibits, copies of boererate (farmers' medicinal remedies) are on display. From Ladybrand, a short, scenic drive leads to Maseru, the capital of the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho.
Memel:
Memel is the Prussian for 'surrounded by water', a seemingly curious name given the dry undulation of the Free State topography. Memel lies in the drainage basin of one of the central plain of the area, with 2m high grasses flourishing. Many trails to KwaZulu-Natal used by Boers in the Anglo-Boer War are still visible.
Senekal:
A town in the 'Conquered Territory’ named after the fallen Comdt-Gen FP Senekal. The town is a well-established trading centre along the banks of the Klipspruit.
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Suggested
Itinerary: An ideal Self-Drive Itinerary
for Eastern Freestate, would be 11 Day Sun City - Cape Town : The alternative route.
click
here |
 |
Off
the beaten track: Click
here for unordinary places to discover
in this region |
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ATTRACTIONS:
Willem Pretorius Game Reserve
NAMPO Harvest Farm near Bothaville
Sandveld Dam Nature Reserve
Gold Museum in Welkom
Goldfields Wine Cellar in Theunissen
Soetdoring Nature Reserve in Soutpan
Saltpans Mining in Soutpan and Bushman paintings
Bothaville:
On the banks of the Vals River where boating, fishing and swimming are popular lies the town of Bothaville. Near Bothaville, the NAMPO Farm attracts more than 20 000 visitors every year. This is one of the largest private agricultural show centres in the world.
Bultfontein:
Established in 1874, on one side of the farm Kameeldoorns, with Hoopstad on the other, the Sand-Vet irrigation system waters this farming district.
Christiana:
This popular stopover between the Reef and Cape Town has been around since being gripped by diamond fever in the 1870s. Offerings include hot mineral springs, a well-stocked game reserve and excellent angling opportunities. At Stows Kopje nearby, are the prehistoric rock engravings, declared a national monument.
Hoopstad:
In the heart of South Africa's richest maize producing district is Hoopstad, an important link to and from the Sandveld Nature Reserve, Bloemhof Dam, Welkom and the North West Province.
Virginia:
The second largest city in the Central Free State has remained a beautiful, tranquil city enhanced by lovely gardens, despite the rapid progress following the gold discoveries of the 1940s. The Sand River is ideal for water activities. A hiking trail along its banks frequented by bird-watchers, and a nearby, a small game sanctuary supports a variety of antelope.
Welkom:
The attractive garden city of Welkom lies at the centre of the Free State Goldfields. Welkom has good shopping malls and restaurants, an airport and a thriving theatre. The Goldfields Racetrack is the venue for national car racing championships. Visits to a goldmine and Klippan Farm (features a wide variety of animals and traditional Free State farming equipment) can be arranged.
Wesselsbron
Wesselsbron is a small maize farming town situated approximately 75 kilometres south of Bothaville.
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Off
the beaten track: Click
here for unordinary places to discover
in this region |
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ATTRACTIONS:
Vredefort Dome at Vredefort
Riemland Museum at Heilbron
Tractor Museum at Viljoenskroon
Vintage car exhibition at Edenville
Franfort:
A typical Free State farming town in a fertile agricultural valley lies on the banks of the Wilge River under weeping willow trees. The banks of the river house a resort and two campsites. Characteristic of this region are sandstone buildings.
Heilbron:
Rich in historical and cultural heritage, the Free State town reflects on a bygone era. Vegkop Battlefield is the site of a battle between Voortrekkers and the Matabele army of Mzilikazi in 1836. The Riemland Museum, housed in an old Jewish Synagogue, depicts the Riemland heritage and the agricultural activities of the area.
Kroonstad:
Set on the Vals River, and originating from the Great Trek, Kroonstad is an important agricultural, educational and administrative centre. The town's architecture and landscape gardening are stunning and modern amenities cater for sporting activities of all kinds. A one-day hiking trail just outside town provides good bird-watching opportunities and leads past some excellent Bushman paintings.
Parys:
On the south bank of the Vaal River, Parys is one of the most popular of the highveld holiday venues. The river, frequented by a diversity of birds, and studded with tree-covered islands. Nearby, there are lovely parks, gardens and picnic spots. Golf Island, northeast of town, is the setting for a 9-hole golf course. The Parys Museum focuses on cultural, historical and geological features.
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Suggested
Itinerary: An ideal Self-Drive Itinerary
for Northern Freestate, would be 11 Day Sun City - Cape Town : The alternative route.
click
here |
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ATTRACTIONS
Landzicht Wine Cellar at Jacobsdal
Open Mine Museum Jagersfontein
Open Mine Museum at Koffiefontein
Transgariep Museum
Laurens van der Post Memorial
The 'Little Gallery' at Smithfield
Gariep Dam
Edenburg:
This typical Transgariep town established in 1862, nestled in the golden prairies alongside the N1, is a prosperous sheep and cattle-farming centre.
Gariep Dam:
Derived from the San name for "a great river" best known for the magnificent man - made dam, which is the largest of its kind in South Africa.
Jagersfontein:
Along the diamond and water route with the first diamond found here by a farmer in 1870, about three years before Kimberley started, here is the oldest diamond mine of its kind in the world and two of the ten biggest diamonds ever found came from Jagersfontein.
Koffiefontein:
This charming town thought to have earned its name from transport riders who often drank coffee here during their trips. A visit to Koffiefontein has the effect of a journey through the pages of history into the present, with many reminders of the past still present.
Petrusburg:
The town named after Petrus Albert Venter whose estate provided the money to the farm on which Petrusburg came to be in 1891. There are also numerous saltpans in the district.
Philippolis:
This is the oldest settlement in the Free State and traces it's origins to a mission station founded in 1823 on a site chosen by Rev. John Phillip of the London Missionary Society.
Smithfield:
Halfway between the most popular route linking Cape Town and Durban is a tranquil oasis to those choosing to break their journey and enjoy the outstanding hospitality of the local community. At Wilgegund Nature Reserve Conservancy, visitors can enjoy horse riding, walking, picnicking and a taste of undisturbed rural life.
Trompsburg:
When the railway from the south reached this area in 1891, Trompsburg was on the farm Middelwater that belonged to Jan and Bastiaan Tromp.
Zastron:
At the end of the Highlands Route, the pretty, town of Zastron lies in a prosperous agricultural district. Nearby, a striking landmark, the "Eye of Zastron" is a hole nine metres in diameter in one of the cliffs of the Aasvoelberg. Zastron has several historical monuments and fine examples of sandstone architecture. The caravan park is also the starting point of the two-day Aasvoelberg Hiking Trail. The area is notable for its caves and Bushman paintings.
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With its wealth of historical and cultural attractions, The Free State is highly recommended for a visit: Bloemfontein is the ideal place to start a tour of the Free State. Willem Pretorius Game Reserve is the Free State's major provincial reserve. Kroonstad has all you need for a relaxing break, including an excellent holiday resort. Loch Athlone, a major attraction of Bethlehem, is a magnet for anglers and those who enjoy pottering around in boats.
Also well worth a visit, The Highlands Route from Harrismith to Zastron is particularly notable for the Golden Gate National Park. The Gariep Dam resort offers an extensive range of leisure activities.
Also home to a huge farming community, these hospitable people will allow you to spend a night on their farm so that you can enjoy a day of farm life. The Vaal River, one of South Africa’s major rivers, flows through a green and fertile valley lined with willow trees. Holidaymakers converge on the attractive resorts nestling near the dams on the river. The Central Free State often referred to as "The Golden Country" where fields of corn and golden sunflowers glow on the hillside, and the gold beneath the ground is a source of great wealth, over 1/ 3 of the countries gold deposits are found there. Increasingly popular among visitors, the Orange River is also the site of one of the country's most astounding engineering feats, the Gariep Dam, its banks provide a relaxing interlude for travellers, especially for those who enjoy swimming, water-skiing, fishing and yachting. Why should you visit - the fishing is great, the mountains invite you to climb, the wildlife waits to be captured by your camera, and the golf courses are groomed for your pleasure.
TOWNS IN THE FREESTATE REGION:
Bloemfontein
Clarens
Clocolan
Deneysville
Ficksburg
Fouriesburg
Gariep Dam
Harrismith
Philippolis
Smithfield
Van Reenen
Welkom
Wesselsbron
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