The Free State as a holiday destination? Really?

The Free State province is hardly a preferred holiday destination. In fact, travellers often skim past this stretch en route from Johannesburg to the Drakensberg or the Cape. Yet this province, with its vast skies and wide horizons, sports a quiet pace as its greatest charm.

Open farmland and highveld grassland dominate the landscape, with the air carrying the earthy scent of maize and sun-warmed soil. As villages’ church spires rise in the distance, and wind pumps watch over golden fields, your drive becomes THE experience.

CULTURE AND HISTORY ON HOLIDAY

Don’t overlook the appeal of Bloemfontein. Apart from being the judicial capital of the country, it’s also dubbed the City of Roses for a reason, especially in spring.

Naval Hill offers sweeping views across the city and a resident population of game grazing on the slopes. Just beyond, the Free State National Botanical Garden showcases the flora of this dry region.

Do you love history? The Anglo-Boer War Museum provides insight into a conflict that shaped the region, while Philippolis and Fauresmith sport old stone churches and nineteenth-century architecture.

Travelling east towards the Maloti foothills is to encounter South Africa in its essence.

MAKE THE MOUNTAINS YOUR HOLIDAY DESTINATION

Moving east, you will find the jewel of the province: Golden Gate Highlands National Park. Here, the grasslands are replaced by sandstone cliffs and mountain passes where rocks blaze ochre-coloured in the afternoon light.

Looking for some action? Several hiking trails thread through valleys and over ridges, and birdlife fills the air.

Nearby, Clarens has a well-earned reputation as an artist’s town, its streets lined with galleries, cafés, and guesthouses. Ringed by the Rooiberge, it is also a convenient base for excursions into Lesotho via the Monontsha or Sani passes.

HOLIDAYING ON THE WATER

The Vaal Dam in the north draws visitors for water sports and fishing, while Gariep Dam on the Orange River offers sailing and hiking.

Yes, there are no great coastal resorts, no grand safari circuits, no glittering nightlife in the Free State. Instead, there is breathing space, long conversations over coffee, and you can listen to the grass rustling in the wind.

Really, here you can rediscover the stillness that modern life steals away.