The magnificent province on the border of Lesotho boasts natural beauty, open farmlands, quaint and charming towns to majestic rolling mountains and fields of flora and fauna as far as the eye can see. This beautiful land also offers visitors many wonderful attractions to explore and discover, and we have listed a few suggestions for your next visit.
The Golden Gate Highlands National Park is situated at the base of the magnificent Maluti Mountains on the border with the Kingdom of Lesotho. This attraction is a park dedicated to the protection of the massive sandstone edifices that have been carved by the searing winds and extreme temperatures of the sizzling summers and icy winters that occur in the Free State. The Golden Gate Highlands National Park offers travellers to bask in the wonder of nature from touring the Park on horseback to enjoying the thrill of white water rafting. Deriving its name from the shades of gold created by the sun on the sandstone slopes, the park is well known for its beautiful scenery and a variety of wildlife ranging from black wildebeest, eland, oribi and Burchell's zebra.
The area also has many good hiking trails including a hike to the top of the Sentinel which provides beautiful views of the Tugela Falls, the second tallest waterfall in the world.
The Vredefort Dome is the fascinating site of the world’s largest meteorite impact that occurred over 2,023 million years ago, leaving a crater with a radius of about 300 kilometres – the distance between Johannesburg and Welkom! Visitors can go on a guided tour of the Vredefort Dome to learn more about its history, and there are many other activities in the area to enjoy, including river rafting, abseiling and mountain biking
Kroonstad is a prime fishing spot. The region boasts a strong seasonal river with the Serfontein Dam being the closest point of entry to Kroonstad, where fishing aficionados have a good chance of catching the local largemouth yellowfish and many others.
Love cherries? Then Ficksburg is the place to visit! Check into the Ionia Cherry Farm and sample their delicious cherry-inspired produce and don’t forget to taste the famous cherry liqueur! Other attractions in Ficksburg include the Gumtree (South Africa’s tallest sandstone building), the monument to General Fick and the White Mischief Cruise boat.
The small town of Parys offers plenty of adventure for visitors such as white-water rafting, abseiling, paintball, quad biking, horse riding, hiking and fishing.
Just outside the town is a micro-brewery — the Dog and Fig Brewery where you can enjoy some craft beers after a long day of touring. There is also the Pickled Pig Ale House, a classic gastro-pub that tries to stock as many different local and imported craft beers as possible, along with a good selection of wines. The food is also pretty good.
Another fun highlight in Parys is a visit to the Bon-Af Berry Farm where you can pick your own selection of berries for a picnic or visit the tea garden for an afternoon scone.
If you're visiting the Golden Gate Park, make sure to check into the Basotho Cultural Village, a real 18th-century village of the Basotho people. This spot offers you the chance to learn about the nation’s rich culture, meet a chief and a traditional healer and sample some of the local cuisine.
The Cheetah Experience offers a magical hands on experience of a 60 to 80 minute guided tour where you’ll meet cheetahs, lions, leopards, servals, caracals and wolves. There are a variety of other tours on offer including a photography tour.
This non-profit organisation helps to conserve endangered species and was founded in 2006, with a long term goal of breeding cheetahs and releasing them back into a “protected wild.”
It’s safe to say that the small, quiet province of the Free State has more to offer when you are looking for an escape from the concrete jungle.
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