The Free State is the Cinderella province of South Africa.
However, the Free State is landlocked, so it doesn’t have the beaches of Cape Town, and its economy is based on large-scale agriculture and corn mining, neither of which is particularly decorative. But, it is seriously underrated.
There are beautiful mountainous areas in the east, where dramatic concave sandstone cliffs and bright green rolling grasslands form the foothills of the Maluti and Drakensburg Mountains. The main agricultural activity here is cherry growing, which tends to be a much nicer crop than corn.
There is great walking and mountain biking in the hills, and the scenery is stunning.
Golden Gate Highlands National Park, with its many day walks and hiking trails, pony trails, beautiful rock art, and small game, gets its name from the magnificent golden-hued sandstone cliffs.
Adjacent to the park is the Basotho Cultural Village, showcasing historical and contemporary aspects of Sotho culture, which straddles the Free State and the adjacent kingdom of Lesotho.
Small towns, such as Clarens, are idyllic little hideaways with a significant population of artists, craftsmen and other refugees from the rat race, and many beautiful old houses are built from the shimmering golden sandstone.
Flowing into the eastern Free State from the mountains of Lesotho, the Ash River has some of the most dependent whitewater rafting in South Africa. There is excellent fly-fishing in the eastern uplands, both for trout and the much more interesting native yellowfish, found in abundance at the massive Sterkfontein Dam.
The small farming town of Marquard is the center of the cherry-growing area and a top destination for mountain biking. Every November in Ficksburg, another small farming town with aspirations of becoming a hot spot, hosts a cherry festival. It’s an excuse for local people to see some outsiders like the big band of gypsy traders who travel from festival to festival. You may, if you’re lucky, even find some cherries.
The province’s northern boundary is the River Vaal, which supports some fun rafting trips, particularly near the town of Parys. Parys, which is the Afrikaans version of Paris, is a great little town, with great cafes, loads of artisan shops and – it must have something to do with the name – its fair share of fashion designers. Near Parys is the Vredefort Dome, which is South Africa’s newest World Heritage Site.
It is the site of an ancient meteorite impact, the scars of which are still visible. In addition to the spectacular and rather rugged terrain, which is a result of the impact, the attractions here include some small game farms, hiking trails, and some pretty bad mountain biking trails. Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State, is a pleasant little city with lots of open spaces and some interesting museums. So there’s plenty to do in the Free State, but keep in mind that it’s all pretty low-key and laid-back.
This remains the agricultural heart of South Africa, a place where things should not be rushed.
