Free State is the agricultural heart of South Africa

The Free State is the Cinderella province of South Africa.

However, the Free State is landlocked, so it does not have Cape Town’s beaches, and its economy relies on large-scale agriculture and corn mining, neither of which is particularly decorative. But, it is seriously underrated.

There are beautiful mountainous areas in the east, where dramatic sandstone concave cliffs and bright green rolling grasslands form the foothills of the Maluti and Drakensburg Mountains. The main agricultural activity here is the cultivation of cherries, which is usually a much prettier crop than corn.

There are great hiking and mountain biking in the hills, and the scenery is breathtaking.

Golden Gate Highlands National Park, with its many hiking and walking trails, pony trails, enchanting rock art, and small game, gets its name from the magnificent gold-toned sandstone cliffs.

Adjacent to the park is the Basotho Cultural Village, displaying historical and contemporary aspects of Sotho culture, which spans both the Free State and the adjacent kingdom of Lesotho.

Small towns, like Clarens, are idyllic little hideaways with a significant population of artists, craftsmen, and other refugees from the rat race, and many charming old houses are built from the shiny golden sandstone.

The Ash River, which flows into the eastern Free State from the Lesotho mountains, has some of the most reliable whitewater rafting in South Africa. There is excellent fly fishing in the eastern highlands for both trout and the much more interesting indigenous yellow fish found in abundance off the massive Sterkfontein Dam.

The small farming town of Marquard is the center of the cherry growing area and is a prominent destination for mountain biking. Every November in Ficksburg, another small farming town with claims of becoming a hot spot, hosts a cherry festival. It’s an excuse for locals to see some outsiders as the huge band of gypsy merchants traveling from festival to festival comes out in force. You may, if you are lucky, even find some cherries.

The northern boundary of the province is the Vaal River, which supports some fun rafting trips, particularly near the town of Parys. Parys, which is the Afrikaans version of Paris, is a great little city, with great cafes, loads of artsy shops and, it must have something to do with the name, quite a few fashion designers. Near Parys is the Vredefort Dome, which is South Africa’s newest world heritage site.

It is the site of the impact of an ancient meteorite, the scars of which can still be discerned. In addition to the spectacular and fairly rugged terrain, which is the result of the impact, attractions here include some small game farms, hiking trails, and some pretty mean mountain bike trails. Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State, is a nice little town with lots of open space and some interesting museums. So there are many things to do in the Free State, but keep in mind that everything is quite low-key and relaxed.

This remains the agricultural heartland of South Africa, a place where things should not be rushed.

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *