FREE STATE 342 Air, Making It an Ideal Spot for Those Who Enjoy the Outdoors
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342 FREE STATE — Introduction modernoverland.com modernoverland.com Introduction — FREE STATE 343 Free State The Free State is situated in the heart of South Africa surrounded by neighboring provinces and the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. This region has been a bastion for Afrikaner nationalism and conservative culture since the establishment of the independent Republic of the Orange Free State back in the mid-1800s, and the progress of race relations tends to move at a slower pace than in the rest of the county. The landscape throughout much of the province is flat, cultivated fields, which give way to the highveld of the Maluti Mountains in the northeastern part of the province. It is this expanse of rolling grassy hills and sandstone cliffs where the province’s main attraction lies. The Golden Gate Highlands National Park is full of fantastic hiking trails, caves filled with San rock art, roaming wildlife, and fresh mountain air, making it an ideal spot for those who enjoy the outdoors. FREE STATE FREE STATE N12 N12 N11 N11 R375 R375 R503 R503 R52 R52 R505 R505 R51 R51 344 FREE STATE — Highlights R378 R378 modernoverland.com modernoverland.comR30 R30 Highlights — FREE STATE 345 R53 R53 R542 R542 R38 R38 N12 N12DelmasDelmasR545 R545 N18 N18 LichtenburgLichtenburg JohannesburgJohannesburgN12 N12 R50 R50 R35 R35 R544 R544 R377 R377 R52 R52 N14 N14 R548 R548 R580 R580 R38 R38 R375 R375 R505 R505 SowetoSoweto R545 R545 ColignyColigny N3 N3R51 R51 N11 N11 N14 N14 C hap TE R N18 N18 R501 R501 BethalBethal R507 R507 N17 N17 H ighligh T S R53 R53 N12 N12 N17 N17 R503 R503 R380 R380 R30 R30 N14 N14 R35 R35 R54 R54 GAUTENGGAUTENG R38 R38 R39 R39 VeeringingVeeringing R549 R549 R546 R546 Free State PotchefstroomPotchefstroom R541 R541 R378 R378 N3 N3 R23 R23R547 R547 N11 N11 Golden Gate Highlands National N12 N12 R50 R50 R503 R503 R53 R53 VaalparkVaalpark R39 R39 NORTHNORTH SassolburgSassolburg R541 R541 Park – Hike the breathtaking KlerksdorpKlerksdorp R59 R59 R549 R549 R502 R502 ParysParys DeneysvilleDeneysville R23 R23 R35 R35 mountains past herds of antelope N12 N12 R716 R716 StandertonStanderton VryburgVryburg N1 N1 WESTWEST VredefortVredefort R82 R82 OranjevilleOranjeville R721 R721 and spectacularly colored geological R34 R34 R76 R76 R716 R716 N14 N14 R59 R59 R57 R57 R31 R31 R504 R504 VierfonteinVierfontein N1 N1 formations (p360) R721 R721 R23 R23 R30 R720 R720 R34 R34 N11 N11 N18 Schweizer-RenkeN18 Schweizer-Renke WolmeranstadWolmeranstadR504 R504 R30 ViljoenskroonViljoenskroon N3 N3 MirageMirage KoppiesKoppies NamahadiNamahadi CorneliaCornelia R504 R504 R502 R502 R59 R59 Bloemfontein – Explore the quirky RooiwalRooiwal HeibronHeibronR34 R34 FrankfortFrankfort R546 R546 R31 R31 N14 N14 NgwatheNgwathe R543 R543NewcastleNewcastle R76 R76 R720 R720R34 R34 R34 R34 city of Bloemfontein, including its R34 R34 BothavilleBothaville R727 R727 R26 R26 R380 R380 N12 N12 R505 R505 N1 N1 HeuningspruittHeuningspruittR57 R57 WardenWarden KurumanKuruman R34 R34 inner city hilltop game reserve where R506 R506 R82 R82 N3 N3 N14 N14 R59 R59 TweelingTweeling you can walk among giraffes (p347)R31 R31 WestleighWestleighR34 R34EdenvilleEdenville R103 R103 R34 R34 N18 N18 R725 R725 R34 R34 R719 R30R719 R30 KroonstadKroonstad N12 N12 PetrusPetrus Steyn Steyn MemelMemel R371 R371 R59 R59 Parys – Stand in the middle of the AllanridgeAllanridge R34 R34 R57 R57 R76 R76 PetsanaPetsana R34 R34 world's largest and oldest meteor HoopstadHoopstad WesselsbronWesselsbron WonderkopWonderkop N14 N14 R373 R373 N1 N1 WardenWarden ChritianaChritiana R26 R57R26 R57 RiebeekstadRiebeekstad R76 R76 LindleyLindley R714 R714 impact site, which is home to rocks R59 R59 N11 N11 R31 R31 R70 R70 SteynsrusSteynsrus R708 R708 TierfonteinTierfontein WelkomWelkom N12 N12 DanielsrusDanielsrus and plants that are found nowhere R700 R700 R325 R325 ArlingtonArlington R76 R76 N3 N3 R370 R370 R719 R719 VirginiaVirginia VentersburgVentersburg else in the world (p353)R385 R385 R710 R710 R714 R714 N14 N14 HertzogvilleHertzogville MelodingMeloding R708 R708 R70 R70 R57 R57 R370 R370 N12 N12 R30 R73R30 R73 BethlehemBethlehem N1 N1 BultfonteinBultfontein N5 N5 N5 N5 N5 N5 HarrismithHarrismith Clarens –Postmasburg PokePostmasburg through thisR385 smallR385 KestelKestel TheronTheron SenekalSenekal N3 N3 DelportshoopDelportshoopWindsortonWindsorton R59 R59 R708 R708 R26 R26 R616 R616 Van ReeneenVan Reeneen art town's huge array of wonderful N5 N5 R711 R711 R375 R375 R708 R708 N11 N11 and wonky galleries and shops, then R702 R702 R707 R707 GoldenGolden Gate Gate Highlands Highlands N12 N12 EensgevondenEensgevonden RosendalRosendal R385 R385 R370 R370 BoshofBoshof WinburgWinburg ClarensClarens NationalNational Park Park settle in for a drink, live music and R64 R64 R70 R70 R309 R309 R708 R708 R616 R616 LadysmithLadysmith small town hospitalityR325 (p361)R325 R64 R64 FouriesburgFouriesburg R74 R74 DealesvilleDealesville R703 R703N1 N1 MarquardMarquard R64 R64 R703BradfortR703Bradfort SoutpanSoutpan R711 R711 R64 R64 KimberleyKimberley R708 R708 CampbellCampbell VerkeerdevleiVerkeerdevlei R74 R74 R64 R64 R357 R357 KareeKaree N1 N1 R703 R703 FicksburgFicksburg GriekwastadGriekwastad R370 R370 N12 N12 R64 R64 R26 R26 A1 A1 R64 R64 ClocolanClocolan R64 R64 N8 N8 Glen Glen R703 R703 A1 A1 A25 A25 DouglasDouglas R26 R26 EstcourtEstcourt JacobsdalJacobsdal PetrusburgPetrusburg N8 N8 BloemfonteinBloemfontein MangaungMangaung N8 N8 R383 R383 R705 R705 BotshabeloBotshabelo LadybrandLadybrand R313 R313 A1 A1 A25 A25 R388 R388 R706 R706 R357 R357 ThabaThaba Patchoa Patchoa MaseruMaseru N12 N12 N6 N6R702 R702 R26 R26 KoffiefonteinKoffiefontein A5 A5 TierpoortTierpoort A3 A3 A3 A3 N1 N1 Austin’sAustin’s Post Post HobhouseHobhouse R10 R10 R704 R704 DewetsdorpDewetsdorp R26 R26 HopetownHopetown R48 R48 R717 R717 R702 R702 A2 A2 R369 R369 ReddersburgReddersburg PrieskaPrieska R717 R717 LESOTHOLESOTHOA5 A5 R369 R369 WepenerWepener LuckhofLuckhof FauresmithFauresmith EdenburgEdenburg R617 R617 R388 R388 JaggersfonteinJaggersfontein UnderbergUnderberg N1 N1 R26 R26 R387 R387 R704 R704 R10 R10 N6 N6 N12 N12 KrugersKrugers R701 R701 R357 R357 OraniaOrania Van StandensrusVan Standensrus R369 R369 TrompsburgTrompsburg FREE STATE A2 A2 A4 A4 R617 R617 N1 N1 R26 R26 R717LofterR717Lofter EASTERNEASTERN R388 R388 SmithvilleSmithville R48 R48 PhillipolisPhillipolis SpringfonteinSpringfontein A4 A4 R403 R403 N6 N6 ZastronZastron WaterkloofWaterkloof R26 R26 CAPECAPE R701 R701 R726 R726 A56 A56 R386 R386 R717 R717 RouxvilleRouxville QuthingQuthing A56 A56 FREE STATE R48 R48 R369 R369 Priors Priors N1 N1 BethulieBethulie N2 N2 R701 R701 VosburgVosburg R384 R384 BritstownBritstown N6 N6 SterkspruitSterkspruit KokstadKokstad A56 A56 R405 R405 De AarDe Aar R389 R389 ColesburgColesburg Aliwal AliwalNorth North Lady GreyLady Grey R384 R384 R394 R394 N12 N12 VenterstadVenterstad 20mi R403 R403 N2 N2 N10 N10 KWAZULUNATALKWAZULUNATAL 50km BergersdorpBergersdorp HanoverHanover 346 FREE STATE — History modernoverland.com modernoverland.com Bloemfontein — FREE STATE 347 HISTORY fled from the colonial British administration in for Afrikaner nationalism and conservative culture. Mangaung Tourist Information - City Center the Great Trek of the 1830s and 40s. But as the Bloemfontein became the judicial capital of South Branch Office (S 29 07.136 E 026 12.881, cnr Two billion years after a meteor struck the earth Voortrekkers attempted to stake their claims Africa and a symbol of Afrikaner pride, but it St George St & President Brand St, 051-412- and forever shaped the land where the present to farmland in the highveld, they too came into was in the nearby township of Manguang where 7940, www.mangaung.co.za, 8am-4:15pm Mon- day town of Parys now sits, indigenous nomadic conflict with raiding warriors as well as with prominent black leaders met in 1912 and forged Fri, 8am-12pm Sat) also distributes the same Khoisan were joined by Sotho migrants from the Moshoeshoe’s kingdom in the mountains. In 1854, the foundations of the African National Congress free pocket-sized city map, although seemed north. Farmers and pastoralists, the Southern the Boer frontiersmen declared an independent (ANC) to challenge rising racial discrimination. incapable of providing any assistance other than Sotho peoples spread across the region in republic of the Orange Free State, named after Yet the province remained the domain of white the pocket map. A small coffee shop with Internet numerous small chiefdoms until their lives were the Orange River that forms its southern border. politicians and farmers who instituted some of access is underway in the same building and was violently interrupted in the early 1800s. Yet bloody battles continued as they fought the strictest apartheid laws in the country. The being built when we visited. Warfare between the Nguni kingdoms to the for territorial control. The Boer army waged black population was forcibly removed from white- east, led by the famed Zulu King Shaka, spilled two expansionist wars against the independent designated areas and into the newly fabricated onto the highveld. At the same time, bands of Sotho in 1858 and 1865, expanding the republic’s “homelands” of QwaQwa, a tiny pocket of land MONEY Griqua and Kora raiders from the Cape Colony boundaries into the Caledon River Valley. Sotho between Harrismith and Clarens along the Lesotho descended on the Orange River, seeking captives not driven into the mountains became subjugated and KwaZulu-Natal borders, and Bophutatswana, Standard Bank (S 29 07.058 E 026 13.234,