Bloemfontein, South Africa / Bloemfontein Attractions and Places of Special Interest in Bloemfontein in the Free State South Africa

Motheo / Bloemfontein Attractions and Destinations

Free State, South Africa

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Free State Tourism

MOTHEO REGION

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Motheo Region, Free State: Officially, Motheo is one of the five districts of the Free State in South Africa. The term ‘Motheo’ comes from the Sesotho for “foundation” or “cornerstone” and was consciously chosen to represent the heartbeat of the province, regarded as an area of entrepreneurial and investment opportunities and the centre of the economic and industrial development of the Free State.

The three municipalities of Mangaung, Mantsopa and Naledi fall within Motheo and include the city of Bloemfontein and other towns like Ladybrand, Hobhouse, Tweespruit, Wepener, Dewetsdorp, Thaba Phatswa. Motheo incorporates the highlands of the Maluti Route, the R26, which winds through Naledi, and the township of Botshabelo, 55 kilometres from Bloemfontein - the largest township in the province and the second largest in the country after Soweto.

Bloemfontein is without doubt the main attraction of Motheo. Marketed as an “outdoor mecca” by the city’s tourism, Bloemfontein is filled with history and myriad outdoor activities. From President Brand Street in the middle of town where the statue of President Brand stands in front of the National Afrikaans Literature Museum, along a street lined with stone building that date back to the 1800s, to the Botanical Gardens and Oliewenhuis Art Museum, there is plenty to do in the city.

The other attraction included in Motheo, just 60 kilometres east of Bloemfontein, is Thaba ‘Nchu, a town established as early as 1873 that was granted independence in 1979 and then reincorporated in 1994, but not before it become the site of a casino complex - one of the main reasons that Bloemfontein residents regularly visit the largely Tswana and Sotho dominated town.
MOTHEO DESTINATIONS
Bloemfontein Thaba'Nchu
Botshabelo Wepener
Hobhouse
MOTHEO ATTRACTIONS
Bloemfontein Zoo & Botanical Gardens
Sand Du Plessis Theatre
National Museum (fossils & archaeological)
Women’s Memorial Monument
Anglo-Boer War Museum
Loch Logan Waterfront
Naval Hill and Franklin Game Reserve
Free State House - Premier’s residency
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Bloemfontein, Free State
Free State Tourism

MOTHEO DESTINATIONS

Bloemfontein: Bloemfontein has a busy cultural and social events calendar. One of the annual events not to be missed, is the Macufe Festival in September, a cultural eisteddfod of storytelling, poetry, art, music and dance. In terms of arts and entertainment, Bloemfontein offers the world-class ... More » Bloemfontein Info

BOTSHABELO

About 45km from the city of Bloemfontein on the N8 road to Lesotho, Botshabelo is the largest township settlement in the Free State and the second largest after Soweto (in Johannesburg). Botshabelo contains a massive industrial complex comprising 240 000 m² of floor space, currently 100% occupied by a total of 154 factories.

HOBHOUSE

On the southernmost tip of the Eastern Free State region lies Hobhouse, named after the British girl who became a Boer heroine. Emily Hobhouse visited the war-torn South Africa during the Anglo Boer War and was appalled at the conditions in the concentration camps. She promptly started nursing ... More » Hobhouse

Thaba' Nchu

Thaba Nchu, one of the oldest settlements in the Free State is situated below the famous Thaba Nchu mountain (place of execution) 65 km east of Bloemfontein. The neighbouring area Selosesha has grown considerably after the region was declared an industrial growth point in the 1980's. With an estimated urban population of 30 000, Thaba Nchu has a strategic location adjacent to the road between Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, Ladybrand and Maseru, the capital of Lesotho.

Wepener

Wepener is named after Lourens Wepener who died during a war in 1867 between Dutch-Afrikaans settlers and Sothos. The nearby Caledon Nature Reserve offers viewing of antelope such as blesbok, springbok, black wildebeest and zebra.
Free State Tourism

MOTHEO ATTRACTIONS

NATIONAL MUSEUM

Notable for its large collection of fossils, cultural historical exhibits and archaeological displays, including the Florisbad skull which was discovered in the 1930s at the Florisbad Spring some 50 km north of Bloemfontein. (Florisbad Man is estimated to have lived between 50 000 and 35 000 years ... more » National Museum Bloemfontein
FREE STATE NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDEN National Botanical Gardens

On the north western fringes of Bloemfontein lie 70 hectares of botanical garden, in a valley peppered with dolerite koppies, tall grassland and woodland; some magnificent examples of wild olive and karee trees, an orange blossom arbour and a petrified tree, thought to be over 150 ... More » Free State Botanical Garden

MACUFE FESTIVAL South Africa Events

Macufe Festival: Macufe, the 10-day Mangaung African Cultural Festival, showcases the cream of African and international talent. It features jazz, gospel, kwaito, hip-hop, R&B, rock and classical music, as well as dance, drama, cabaret, musical theatre, poetry, fine art and traditional arts and crafts. First held ... More » Macufe Festival

SAND DU PLESSIS THEATRE

Completed in 1985 at a cost of over R60 million, the Sand du Plessis complex is one of the most modern theatres in the world. The facade features massive glass panels; and works of art form part of the decor. Throughout the year, the theatre is the venue for opera, ballet, drama and music performances.

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