Towns included in the Grasslands Meander
(To view local Advertisers click on 'A' next to town name)
1 ABERFELDY
It is a small settlement not far from Harrismith. Surrounded by good agricultural land with game farms, it currently houses Marne's, a home bake and home made ginger beer centre.
back to top
2 ARLINGTON
Arlington is a small farming town in the Free State province of South Africa. It was established as an important railway link between Lindley and Senekal.
back to top
3 ASCENT
Ascent is a railway station on the line between Vrede and Balfour. It is in an agricultural area producing maize and cattle. There are various game farms, artists and outdoor recreation facilities in the area.
back to top
4 BALFOUR
Balfour is a small coal mining and maize farming town in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The town was established in 1898 as McHattiesburg after its founder Frederick McHattie. In 1905 the town changed its name when the British Prime Minister Arthur Balfour gave a speech at the local station platform when his train stopped in the town.
back to top
5 BETHLEHEM
The beautiful town of Bethlehem has good infrastructure and it is a thriving business centre with several hospitals and other amenities. It lies in the foothills of the Drakensberg and in close proximity of Lesotho. Many activities can be enjoyed by the tourist in and around the town and there is a variety of good accommodation available. There is a cemetery of British soldiers killed during the Anglo Boer war. The town also has many historical sandstone buildings and the Saulspoort dam and Loch Athlone offers water sport and sailing facilities. The town can be reached by airplane and the airport is a training venue for pilots, both national and international. Other activities include hunting, lions farms, 4 x 4 trails, mountain biking, performing arts, water sport, hiking trails, game viewing, quad bike trails, birds and raptors, monuments, historical cemeteries and many more.
back to top
6 CLARENS
The town of Clarens has developed into a very popular attraction for tourists with many art galleries, restaurants, wine boutiques and other interesting places to visit. It is situated in one of the most beautiful parts of the Free State and over weekends it is bustling with tourists. It is close to the Golden Gate Highlands National Park with its unique sandstone formations and wealth of wild flowers. There is a wide spectrum of accommodation available and there is something for everyone. Close by Motouleng is a place of pilgrimage for the Basotho people where they come to pray and perform their religious rituals.
back to top
7 CORNELIA
The small town of Cornelia situated on the alternative route through the Free State between Johannesburg and Durban has a thriving farming community. It boasts a cheese factory and emu farming. Some kilometers north of the town is the fossil excavation site on the farm Uitzoek. Early evidence of Black Wildebeest was found here around 1920 and well preserved fossils of Black Wildebeest have been discovered since 1990. Certain characteristics such as large body size and differences in the horns and skull base distinguishes these fossils from modern specimens of the animals. Outside the town there are modern horse riding facilities and visitors can be accommodated in typical Basotho mud houses.
back to top
8 EDENVILLE
The town was proclaimed on 29 October 1912. The town is surrounded by a farming community. There are numerous game farms. The town itself boasts an amazing collection of vintage cars and motorcycles and these can be seen at Edenville Motors. The historic sandstone church is a landmark in the town and worth a visit. It forms part of the Sandstone church route. The town has a very good climate for the production of maize, hence the seemingly endless stretches of green maize lands changing to gold when they start ripening.
back to top
9 FRANKFORT
Located on the banks of the Wilge River the town offers canoeing and boating, water sports and trails. It has wide streets designed for ox wagons to turn and there are several buildings that are National Monuments. The Wilge marathon race takes place every year in February and it is an angler's paradise. The town is surrounded by good agriculture and is supported with light industry. The surrounding area offers hiking , camping, caravanning, and horse riding. There are two lion farms with good facilities and many game farms. Namahadi township has several artists and guest houses and is well worth a visit.
back to top
10 GREYLINGSTAD
Greylingstad is a small farming town to the East of the N3 highway. During the Boer War the Scottish Rifles built a number of small forts overlooking the town and the farms beyond the hills. The Scottish Rifles laid out the initials "SR" on the hill overlooking the town, and it was always clearly visible from the main street of Greylingstad. In the 1950's and 1960's the town had a flourishing farming community and two well known local grocery shops, that of the Melmans, Joe and his son George, and that of the Hendrik Morsner. The O'Connell's owned the two other two cafe's in town and did brisk business with the passing traffic stopping for refreshments. The local coffee shop was owned by Aunt Tina Fourie, who ran it on her own. She also did hair perms and the like after hours, and was also living behind the cafe. The farmers always converged there for a cup of tea or coffee during their visits to the town. People like Doors Kriek and the Volschenks were frequent customers. The local lads used to trade in their empty Coca Cola & Sparletta bottles for sweets! A major change came about in 1962 when ESCOM (now called ESKOM) erected a 88kV substation and the town, which had about 300 residents at the time, was connected to the main electricity grid. Mrs. Susan Botha, chairperson of the local council, was the key driver to get electricity supplied to the town, and negotiated the supply with ESCOM. When the main road between Johannesburg and Durban was upgraded in the 60's, a bypass was built around Greylingstad, and this effectively starved the small businesses in town.
back to top
11 GROOTVLEI
The old mining town of Grootvlei is situated about 5km from the Grootvlei Power Station entrance and 5km from the grootvlei off-ramp on the N3. The Springfield hostel is the biggest building in the village with 30 rooms and there are 23 houses with 6 rooms each, common lounge per house & shared ablution between every two houses. With one or two beds per room it could house between 130 and 270 people. There is a swimming pool, volley ball court and jukskei pit for recreational purposes.
back to top
12 HARRISMITH
Harrismith was established in 1849 on the banks of the Wilge River with Platberg (Flat Mountain) keeping watch over the town. Situated halfway between Johannesburg and Durban it offers good and varied accommodation and it is the gateway to the Drakensberg with its beautiful scenery and many things to do. Harrismith is also home to one of the original blockhouses built during the Anglo Boer War to catch General CR de Wet and President MT Steyn. Harrismith has many things to do and plays host to mountain marathons and bike rallies. Close to Harrismith is the Sterkfontein Dam on top of the escarpment. The dam is ideal for sailing and water sports and it is unique in the respect that it is filled with water that is pumped from the foot of the mountain to the dam. It is the deepest dam in Africa and from here water is supplied to Gauteng via the river system into the Vaaldam. Bearded and Cape vultures can be seen at the viewpoint in the Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve and also in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park.
back to top
13 HEIDELBERG
At the foot of the Suikerbosrand, Heidelberg began in 1862 as a trading station built by a German, HJ Uekermann. A town was laid out around the store and named after Uekermann's alma mater. During the First War of Independence Heidelberg served as capital of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek under the Triumvirate of Paul Kruger, PJ Joubert and MW Pretorius, from 1880 to 1883. In 1885 the Witwatersrand gold reef was discovered in the Heidelberg district and the office of the Mining Commissioner was established there. Heidelberg developed as a typical rural Victorian town. Many buildings dating back to the period between 1890 and 1910 have been preserved. Dr AG Visser renowned early Afrikaans poet, resided and practiced as the local doctor in the house that currently houses the AG Visser Huis Museum. The Diepkloof Farm Museum is situated 20km on the Nigel road in an old restored farmhouse built in 1850. Die klipkerk , a beautiful sandstone edifice, its name meaning 'stonechurch', had its corner stone laid in 1890, 25 years after the finding of congregation. The old jail was built in 1888 and first served as a hospital and home for the underprivileged. The building has stood empty since 1963 when a new jail was built. It is now being restored. During the Second War of Independence, the Boers built a "bakoond" over the water fountain to hide it from the British forces. In this way, they safe-guarded their supply of water.
back to top
14 HEILBRON
An agricultural town with good infrastructure, it offers the tourist a large variety of things to do. It is rich in history and is located in what is known as the Riemland. There are game farms, overnight facilities, a unique wine route and the historic Vechtkop battle site is located in the district. The town was declared as town on 6 May 1873. It played a big role during the Anglo-Boer war and it was also here that the British started the building of a Blockhouse kraal to try and catch General de Wet and President Steyn. The town bears a big influence from the Jewish people who lived and traded here around the turn of the century. Others who played a significant role here were the Greek, German and Portuguese communities. On 27 November 1880 the cornerstone of the historic sandstone church was laid and on 26 June 1885 it was completed. President Brand laid the cornerstone of the Methodist Church on 28 October 1882. The town is supported by industries such as Clover SA and agriculture yields dairy products, maize, sorghum, wheat, sunflowers, beef and mutton. Also in the area is the Riemland wine route with several wine cellars where wine tasting and other activities can be undertaken.
back to top
15 KESTELL
Named after Rev. J D Kestell the town was founded in 1905 in the foothills of the Rooiberge.The Dutch Reformed church is the second biggest sandstone church in the Free State and was designed by Gerhard Moerdyk who also designed the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria. The church can seat 1000 people. In addition the town has about thirty historical sandstone buildings. Closeby is the battle site of Groenkloof where General de Wet destroyed a British column on Christmas day of 1901. An old Oak tree planted by Voortrekker leader Piet Retief in 1837 can still be seen in the town next to one of the sandstone houses. There are a number of rock paintings and archeological sites near the town.
back to top
16 LINDLEY
The settlement of Lindley was laid out in 1875 on the farm Brandhoek and was proclaimed a town in 1878. It is a small town situated on the banks of the Vals River in the eastern region of the Free State. It was established by an American Presbyterian missionary named Daniel Lindley, who was the first ordained minister to the Voortrekkers in Natal. Stella Blakemore, one of the most popular youth authors in Afrikaans, who wrote series such as Maasdorp and Keurboslaan, was born in Lindley in 1906. Danie Craven, the famous Springbok Rugby Union player, administrator and coach was born in this town on 11 October 1910. Tourist attractions in Lindley include a British memorial in the local cemetery to British soldiers who died on 31 May 1900 at Yeomanry Hills during the siege of Lindley, prehistoric stone huts of the original inhabitants of the area as well as a miniature replica of the Dutch Reformed Church that was erected in 1928 in memory of those who died during the Second Anglo-Boer War.
back to top
17 MEMEL
Named after the port city of Memel, East Prussia (today Klaipeda, Lithuania) the small town of Memel is home to the Seekoeivlei Nature Reserve. The name means surrounded by water in Old Prussian. A unique wetland spanning some 30 square kilometer, borders the town, which was declared a Ramsar site in 1999. It is unique for housing more than 250 species of birds, and the town is now a popular destination for bird enthusiasts. It is also home to some hippopotamus, Seekoei being the Afrikaans translation. Many years ago farmers built drainage canals to create arable farming land And this dried out the wetland. In the early 1990's a rehabilitation programme was put in place to restore the wetland at a cost of more that Two million Rand The wetland now contributes again to the Vaal River water scheme that supplies Gauteng with fresh water. The town is slowly undergoing a transformation mainly due to the rehabilitation of the wetlands. House prices have moved from the R50 000 level to around the R400 000 mark in a matter of just 2 years as nature lovers from the big cities move in and renovate the old houses. There is a lot of history as Genl. CR de Wet owned a farm nearby and he started the 1914 rebellion. The old sandstone church is a landmark.
back to top
18 PETRUS STEYN
Previously known as Concordia, it is a small town serving a predominantly farming community and is situated two hours south of Johannesburg. The area is well known for wheat, maize, sunflower, potato, cattle and sheep production. Altitude is 1300 metres above sea level and approximately 20 kilometers north of the town the old railway siding/station name Hoogte is located. This was the highest manned station above sea level in the Free State. Temperatures can vary between 5 degrees Celsius below zero in Winter to 30 degrees Celsius in Summer. Average rainfall is around 750 mm per year of which approximately one third fall during the summer months. This makes for a very pleasant and healthy climate. Petrus Steyn has a good equestrian club and accommodation is available in the form of guest houses and caravan facilities. It has a beautiful gift shop and all other amenities to make a stay over comfortable. The well known artist Helen Claassens resides in the district. Tours can be arranged to view potato sorting and also the harvesting of maize and wheat. The sandstone parsonage of the Dutch Reformed Church, in du Plessis Street was declared a national monument in 1988. The existing church was built during the first half of 1917.
back to top
19 PHUTADITJABA
It is situated in the Qwa Qwa area which means 'whiter than white' in the old San language and describes the snow on the Maloti Mountains. It is built on the banks of the Elands River that flows from the summit of Mount-Aux-Sources. In close proximity is the Golden Gate Highlands National Park with its unique sandstone formations. Rock Art abounds and several hiking trails can be found here. Among others, one can reach the Sentinel Peak of Mount-Aux-Sources from Witsieshoek near the town. It has some of the best scenery in the Grasslands Meander area and is home to many unique flower species and birds. In the Golden Gate Park is the Basotho cultural village open air museum and also in the area is Wetsi's cave that housed 2000 head of cattle, 500 horses and many people simultaneously.
back to top
20 REITZ
Reitz was founded in 1889 on the farm Stompkop as a stage post for transport riders. It was first called Amsterdam, but later named after President Francis William Reitz of the Orange Free State Republic. It became a municipality in 1903. It has good infrastructure and houses the head office of Vrystaat Kooperasie, a farmers cooperative, The Willie Doman Game Park in the centre of town is a big attraction and home to blesbok, eland, black wildebeest and zebra. The town is surrounded by agricultural land producing grain and maize. During February the town hosts the Bieliemielie festival with lots of entertainment and something for everyone. The historical Dutch Reformed Church forms part of the Sandstone route and is well worth a visit.
back to top
21 ROADSIDE
Although dilapidated, with only a police station and school still operating, this was once a thriving coach station on the busy route from Durban to Johannesburg. Horses were changed here and a blacksmith was operating also shodding horses. Later it had a farm shop, mill, post office, school, police station and a couple of houses. It is rich with history and some interesting stories exist around the place. It is also the home of rugby player Victor Matfield's grandfather who was the principal of the school for many years. Victor's father, also Victor went to school in the two man school until standard five.
back to top
22 STEYNSRUS
The small town of Steynsrus is in a farming community. It is home to the Salem Pottery that has made a name for themselves with massive pots and other wonderful ceramic items. In the area there are game farms and hunting possibilities.
back to top
23 SWINBURNE
Swinburne in the Free State is an important stop over for buses traveling between Johannesburg and Durban on the N3 highway. It has the second oldest bridge in the Free State which was opened 1884 and spans the Wilge River.
back to top
24 TWEELING
Established in 1920 the town was built on two farms, Tweelingkop and Tweelingspruit so it is easy to see where the name comes from. The town lies on the route between Frankfort and Reitz. The area offers game hunting, horse riding and Polo Cross at the local Polo Cross Club. Lions can be viewed at the Lions Rest Game Lodge about five kilometers out of the town towards Frankfort. The farm also has a wedding facility for 200 people and overnight accommodation. Essentially a farming community, the area is also full of history relating to the Anglo Boer war.
back to top
25 VAN REENEN
Van Reenen, the gateway between the Free State and KwaZulu Natal is located at the border between the two provinces on the main N3. The Van Reenen Pass is the main access from the Free State into KwaZulu Natal. The little village of Van Reenen is famous for having the Llandaff Oratory and the smallest church in the world - capable of a full house of 8 people. The church was built by a father in memory of his son who died in a mining accident. A lovely little tea garden is now next to the little church. There are three choices of accommodation all set in beautiful countryside with spectacular views.
back to top
26 VERKYKERSKOP
Established as an 'outspan' or overnight stop it is known for the rolling hills and high mountains and is an ideal destination for mountain biking. Situated roughly half way between Harrismith and Memel, it has an old world charm with typical farm shop from yesteryear. It has two guest houses, a restaurant, a modern police station and the beautiful scenery around Verkykerskop makes it well worth a visit. A modern housing estate with sandstone buildings is being developed in the area. Also close by is the Witkoppen fish and game reserve where game such as Wildebeest, Gemsbok and Rhebok can be viewed from horse back. The area offers pony trekking, bird watching, raptors, game, flowers. Snow in winter and hiking trails.
back to top
27 VILLIERS
The small town of Villiers is situated alongside the N3 Highway between Durban and Johannesburg and is within close proximity to the Vaal Dam. Villiers is considered to be one of the prettiest towns in the Northern Free State and has often won the Administrators Floating Trophy for its many beautiful gardens. Villiers was established in 1882 on the farms of Pearson Valley and Grootdraai. These farms were owned by Lourens de Villiers and the town was named after him. Villiers achieved municipal status in 1917. There is a well known farm stall near the town located on the N3 highway. The area also offers birding, fishing, Arts and crafts and water sports on the Vaal River.
back to top
Vrede is a scenic little town with an imposing sandstone church built on the plan of the Notre Dam in Paris. The town lies in the North-Eastern Free State about 20km east of the N3, close to the Mpumalanga border. The town was established in 1863 by European landowners of this area. Vrede was so named after a dispute between the founding fathers about its name was settled amicably ("in peace"). Today Vrede finds itself at the hub of a 10 000 hectare region of agricultural plenty, including the Free State's largest stock fairs of maize wheat, mutton, wool, beef, dairy, products and poultry. The town is steeped in history. The frontage of the Dutch Reformed Church features a Burghers Memorial to fallen Boers and a garden to honor the British soldiers. The Great Trek Monument is a granite memorial erected in 1938, the centenary year of the Great Trek. A First World War Cannon may also be seen in the town. The town is equipped with all the basic infrastructure and is surrounded by undulating, highveld hills. It is just 220 km from northern Johannesburg It is in the spine of the Drakensberg off the N3 highway Durban to Nelspruit (and the alternative Durban to Johannesburg) and also on the main route from Johannesburg via Newcastle to the North Coast and Zululand. Vrede has lots to offer the tourist and amongst others is hosting an annual Red Meat Festival ("Rooivleisfees") .
back to top
29 WARDEN
Established in 1913 on the banks of the Cornelis River, Warden was named after Charles Frederick Warden. He was appointed landdrost of Harrismith in 1884 after working as a clerk in the landdrost's office in Bloemfontein. Although from a British imperial family he became a staunch republican who identified with the cause of the Afrikaners in the Free State. Warden has one of the biggest stone churches in the Southern Hemisphere. The Dutch Reformed church is built with sandstone from the area and it is said that the stone contains various fossils like shell and little sea creatures proving that the area was under sea water at some stage. There are various fossil sites in the area. The church was built in 1917 and it is bigger that the Sydney Opera House. This makes it ideal for large music and song performances and with the establishment of the Grasslands Meander these performances are already an annual event. Although a small town, Warden has a very active farming community and a number of well known personalities grew up in the area.
back to top
