South Africa Guide
Free State
The Highlands Route, one of South Africa's most scenic drives, skirts the mountainous eastern flank of the Free State, the traditional heartland of conservative Afrikanerdom, which lies landlocked at the centre of the country. If you're driving from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth or Cape Town, the Eastern Highlands, which sweep up to the subcontinent's highest peaks in the Lesotho Drakensberg, are worth the detour off the more humdrum N6. The eastern Free State is also the gateway to Lesotho, with border posts close to each of the small towns on the South African side. Bloemfontein, the capital, is only worth visiting if you are driving on the N6 to reach the Western or Eastern Cape, rather than taking the Highlands Route, but once there you'll find very good guesthouses, restaurants and museums.
The highlight of the Eastern Highlands is the Golden Gate National Park, designated a national park not for its wildlife, but because of the beauty of the Maluti Mountains with their stripy red sandstone outcrops. It's an easy three- to four-hour drive from Johannesburg, and from here it's possible to do a round trip of the Highlands, taking in Lesotho as well.
Highlights
1 Highlands Route A scenic drive past massive rock formations, cherry orchards and sandstone farming towns.
2 Basotho vernacular architecture See the decorative adobe huts typical of the Eastern Free State and Lesotho at the Basotho Cultural Village.
3 Drakensberg Escarpment Catch some of South Africa's most spectacular mountain views by climbing to the highest point on the escarpment via a chain ladder.
4 Golden Gate Highlands National Park A stunning reserve dominated by the beautiful Maluti Mountains with their stripy red sandstone outcrops.
5 Street Café Restaurant Sample one of 107 varieties of beer, sitting outdoors in the delightful town of Clarens.