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Visitors Information |
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Advertise Here |
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The Free State Province disposes of an extensive system of parks and reserves, including one national park (Golden Gate) and more than 80 provincial, municipal, and privately owned nature parks, nature reserves, game reserves, and game farms. Activities include bird and game viewing, trophy and biltong hunting, hiking, horseback riding, biking, 4X4 off-road driving, camping, climbing and spelunking. Click on the following activities to find out more details.
These areas are in the wider area of the Lake Gariep Route and Gariep Dam.
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This is a region of vast grassy plains and endless vistas, where the visitor can enjoy the open blue skies - star-studded at night - and the fresh unpolluted air. The Gariep Dam is situated in the southernmost corner of the region and offers excellent recreational facilities and opportunities for anyone wishing to escape city life.
The Xhariep is a vast, open grassland fed by the broad river the San called the !Garib (great river) which forms the southern border of the region. It was named the Orange River by settlers who had orange in their flag and saw the colour in the murky expanse of this 2 000 km long source of life that cuts through dry lands and forms the natural southern border with -the Cape. Further north is Motheo which is dominated by the capital city Bloemfontein, literally meaning the “flower fountain’, and also known as the “city of roses’. Bloemfontein is the business and cultural hub of the Free State and expresses the cultural diversity for which the province is well-known. To the west beyond the sculptured lawns, impressive buildings and floral embankments, lies the semi-arid Xhariep, dotted by dams and covered by sheep and cattle farms. The east, stretching up to the Drakensberg Range, abounds with parks and reserves.
One should not be fooled by the tranquillity of the Transgariep Region - underneath the atmospheric serenity lie incredible journeys and unforgettable opportunities waiting to be experienced. These range from the sheer thrill of the hunt on any of the many game farms, the outstanding nature reserves offering their absorbing animal, plant and bird life, or just to enjoy the excellent facilities at the many holiday resorts in the area. And then there are the journeys. The journeys leading you directly into the hearts of the people and country alike. Follow the preserved trails of Bushman antiquity and feel the magical presence of a nearly extinct people; so are the historic footsteps of other cultural groups in the region. The charm of small town mythology brings one closer still to the rhythms of the earth, to a natural order, to a way of life perhaps intended for us all.
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 Railroad tracks running through the centre of Fauresmith
Landzicht Wine Cellar at Jacobsdal
Open Mine Museum and mining hole at Jagersfontein
Open Mine Museum at Koffiefontein
Transgariep Museum and Laurens van der Post Memorial at Philippolis
The 'Little Gallery' at Smithfield
Gariep Dam
The 'Eye' of Zastron
D.H Steyn bridge near Bethulie |
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| The information was made available by the Free State Department of Tourism Web site. |
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