Lejweleputswa, Free State
Once you've booked your hotel or Lejweleputswa accommodation explore our destination pages below for info on attractions and what to do in the Lejweleputswa Region.
The name Lejweleputswa, meaning ‘gray rock’, replaces the rather mundane former ‘Free State Goldfields’ that lacked the imagination of the African name that now describes the area in the Free State with a history rich in gold prospecting and mining. The district lies in the north western part of the Free State, bordering on North West Province in the north and the Northern Cape to the west - an area that also lies in the heart of the country’s agricultural belt, and includes two of the province’s nature reserves.
Despite a long history of prospecting for gold in the Lejweleputswa, gold wasn’t discovered until 1948, when a borehole sunk to find water instead found lava, a deep-flowing source of gold ore that led to the establishment of Welkom. As a result, this part of the world owes its existence to the consequent influx of miners and people who helped build a boom of mining towns, and a farming community that forms part of the maize triangle, the mielie growing region of the Free State.
Lejweleputswa has a beauty all its own, and the landscapes are given over to a rich combination of golden crop plains, rolling hills and distant sandstone mountains, the skies a constant hazy blue, from which even the crisp winters cannot detract. Gold mines in the Free State also supply a large percentage of the silver that the country produces, and Lejweleputswa, whilst definitely the place to experience underground mine tours, offers far more variety than one initially thinks. If the Goldfields Wine Cellar in Theunissen, Winnie Mandela House in Majwemasoeu, Brandfort, and the Aco tractor factory near Hoopstad are anything to go by, then Lejweleputswa is filled with hidden gems.
Destinations / Town & Suburbs of Lejweleputswa
Bothaville
Where to Stay: Lejweleputswa Accommodation
The town lies on the banks of the Vals River where boating, fishing and swimming are popular. Game auctions (among the most important in the country) are held regularly on the farm Syfergat. The district produces maize ... Bothaville information
Christiana
Where to Stay: Lejweleputswa Accommodation
Gripped by diamond fever in the 1870s, Christiana is a popular stopover between the Reef and Cape Town. Offerings include hot mineral springs, a well-stocked game reserve and excellent angling opportunities. A point of ... Christiana information
Hoopstad
Where to Stay: Lejweleputswa Accommodation
Hoopstad lies in an area known as the Lejweleputswa region of the Free State that stretches from Ventersburg in the south, to Hoopstad in the north, Boshof in the west and includes the Goldfields. This is the part of the ... Hoopstad information
Ventersburg
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Ventersburg
The typical little Free State town of Ventersburg lies between Bloemfontein and Kroonstad on the main national road in the north western part of the Free State. It is the only town in the Free State through which the N1 ... Ventersburg information
Virginia
Where to Stay: Lejweleputswa Accommodation
Despite its rapid progress following the gold discoveries of the 1940s, the second largest city in the Central Free State has remained a beautiful, tranquil city enhanced by lovely gardens. The Sand River, on which it ... Virginia information
Welkom
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Welkom
Reputed to have grown at much the same rate as the major metropolis of Johannesburg, Welkom, South Africa’s youngest town - it received city status only in 1955 - is the hub of the Free State gold fields about 160 ... Welkom information
Wesselsbron
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Wesselsbron
The quaint maize farming town of Wesselsbron lies about 75 kilometres south of Bothaville - worth mentioning as together they fall into what is known as the “maize triangle”, an area dominated by fields of corn and ... Wesselsbron information
Lejweleputswa
Featured and "Must See" Attractions in Lejweleputswa
Erfenis Dam Nature Reserve
The Erfenis Dam Nature Reserve lies in the central Free State between Theunissen (probably the town most central to the Free State) and Winburg, roughly 20 kilometres west of the latter, with the turn off roughly 10 kilometres outside the former. Whilst these directions might sound a little ... more information
Willem Pretorius Game Reserve
The Willem Pretorius Game Reserve is situated in the heart of the Free State with the Allemanskraal Dam forming the central part. The reserve itself covers some 12 005ha with a great variety of game and bird species. The great variety of wildlife and bird species is not the only draw card for tourists ... more information
Sandveld Nature Reserve
Regarded as the Free State’s top birding spot, Sandveld Nature Reserve lies on the Free State side of the Bloemhof Dam roughly 200 kilometres northwest of Bloemfontein. Interestingly, the Bloemhof Dam lies where the Vaal and Vet Rivers meet, right on the border between the Free State and North West ... more information
Oppenheimer Park Golf Course
The challenging and well-manicured course, with its profusion of magnificent tall trees lining the fairways, is on the outskirts of the gold-mining centre of Welkom and lies next to a large dam inhabited by thousands of flamingos. Both nines open with demanding par-four holes. The first, at 422 metres, is long and straight ... more information
Bloemhof Dam Nature Reserve
Bloemhof Dam Nature Reserve lies on the North West province side of the Bloemhof Dam, on the dam’s northern shores. Regarded as one of the largest dams in South Africa covering an area of 25 000 hectares that lies at the confluence of the Vaal and Vet Rivers. Bloemhof is one of the angling destinations in the country ... more information
Lejweleputswa
Holiday Accommodation in Lejweleputswa
For accommodation in Lejweleputswa see:
• Kroonstad • Ventersburg • Wesselsbron • Welkom
Or to see all accommodation in this region at once, visit Lejweleputswa Accommodation.
"The Free State landscape gladdens my heart, no matter what my mood. When I am here I feel that nothing can shut me in, that my thoughts can roam as far as the horizons" - Nelson Mandela.
- Introduction to Free State
- Destination Guide
- Accommodation Guide
- Free State Search by Map
- Free State Conferences
- Wedding Guide
- Touring the Free State
- Transport & Travel Arrangements
- Out and About
- Südafrika Reise
Für Deutsche Besucher
Suedafrika-Reise.net bringt Ihnen das umfangreichste Angebot an Links, um Südafrika zu "bereisen": hier und jetzt auf Ihrem Bildschirm.
Urlaub im Freistaat
destinations / attractions in free state
