Dordrecht, Karoo Heartland

The little farming village of Dordrecht is situated in the heart of the Stormberg region, north west of Queenstown. The town lies in the shadow of the Stormberg or Western Drakensberg Mountains and is on the popular Route 56 between Durban and Middelburg, making it a fairly popular stopover, and for some, the discovery of a town well worth re-visiting.

Dordrecht is well known for its trout fishing, and pheasant and game hunting. It lies close to the only snow skiing resort, Tiffendal, in South Africa. Snow in winter in the village itself is not infrequent and is quite beautiful when it does occur. Add to this the really pretty layout of the town and the prevalence of historical buildings, as well as a museum filled with New Age furniture and clothing, and one can begin to understand the allure that the village holds for visitors - it is sometimes described as the 'jewel' of the Stormberg.

The origin of the town's name is fairly obviously Dutch and in keeping with the original Dutch community who bought the farm Boschrand to build a Dutch Reformed Church. Much of the community today are involved either in farm and cattle farming or in tourist-related activities. But what helped place the little town on the map was the freedom Trail, developed when South Africa celebrated 10 years of freedom.

The Freedom Trail is a mountain bike race that tests endurance. It runs from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, and en route it winds through the Stormberg towns of Rhodes, Vaalhoek, Dordrecht, Pronskraal, Brosterlea and Hofmeyr before setting off for the Great Karoo. Self-guided trips, whether for a section of the Freedom Trail or in its entirety are possible.