Northern Region, Free State

Free State Tourist Attractions

Northern Region, Free State

Once you've booked your hotel or Northern Free State accommodation explore our destination pages below for info on attractions and what to do in the Northern Free State Region.

The Northern Free State is at once rural and far enough from the major tourist routes to offer a hint of true ‘platteland’ living to newcomers and locals alike. It is not only the most accessible part of the Free State to Gauteng - it lies not even an hour from OR Tambo International Airport - but this rustic area is also rich in water, and manages to whirl together a rich collection of activities and weekend getaways that make it attractive to both those travelling through, and others wanting a break from it all.

During summer this area, which produces a high share of the country’s maize, bursts into an array of sunflowers, fields of mealies and wheat, interspersed with the vivid pinks of cosmos that transforms the countryside into a tapestry of gold. The Northern Free State includes a collection of typical little towns - with names like Kroonstad, Frankfort and Heilbron - that silently bear tribute to a rich history in the form of characteristic sandstone buildings, and a collection of historical sites that relate to the Boer Wars, some of which are national monuments.

The Vaal Dam and river provide effortless water play time from riding the white waters in a raft or canoe, to leisurely sailing the waters of the dam on a yacht. In an arc to the north and west of Vredefort and Parys, lies a ring of hills known as the Vredefort Dome, South Africa’s seventh World Heritage Site, recognised as the largest and oldest meteorite impact site in the world. Hike in the rugged mountains surrounding the dome, view untouched San paintings, and abseil or rock climb in the area.

Northern Region

Destinations / Town & Suburbs of Northern Region

Deneysville

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Deneysville

There is some debate as to which province Deneysville in fact belongs. Although regarded as lying on the Free State shore of the Vaal dam (the pretty little town literally lies next to the Vaal dam wall), Deneysville is ... Deneysville information

Frankfort

Where to Stay: Northern Free State Accommodation

A typical Free State farming town in a fertile agricultural area. A holiday resort and two camping sites lie on the banks of the Wilge River under weeping willow trees. The town's historical sandstone buildings are ... Frankfort information

Heilbron

Where to Stay: Northern Free State Accommodation

A typical Free State town with a rich historical and cultural heritage. Vegkop Battlefield is the site of a battle between Voortrekkers and the Matabele army of Mzilikazi in 1836. The Riemland Museum, housed in an old ... Heilbron information

Koppies

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Koppies

The little town of Koppies lies roughly halfway between the towns of Kroonstad and Vanderbijlpark on the N1. It is a little farming town that began its life as a railway station near the Renoster River ... Koppies information

Kroonstad

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Kroonstad

Despite its allusion to royalty (kroon is Afrikaans for ‘crown’) Kroonstad has far more humble beginnings, rumoured to have been named after a horse belonging to one of the Voortrekker leaders - the jury is out as to ... Kroonstad information

Parys

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Parys

The little country town of Parys lies on the southern banks of the Vaal River about an hour’s drive from Johannesburg. Disputably named after its European counterpart on the banks of the Seine, what makes Parys ... Parys information

Villiers

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Villiers

The little town of Villiers only just makes it into the Free State, lying as it does practically on the border with Mpumalanga, east of the Vaal Dam. Villiers, named after the farmer Lourens de Villiers on whose ... Villiers information

Northern Region

Featured and "Must See" Attractions in Northern Region

Vaal Dam

There are not many dams that can claim to be as big as Luxembourg, yet the Vaal Dam, which is also the country's largest dam by area – the Gariep Dam has the largest storage capacity – does just that. Suffice to say that Vaal Dam is big. The Vaal Dam has over 800 kilometers worth of coastline and covers over 300 square kilometres ... more information

Vredefort Dome

The Vredefort dome is the oldest and largest meteorite impact site (Asrobleme) in the world. Formed an estimated 2000 million years ago when a gigantic meteorite (larger than Table Mountain) hit the earth close to where Vredefort is today. The force of the impact opened up a crater, which is still ... more information

Northern Region

Featured Things To Do in Northern Region

view all things to do in the Northern Free State

Northern Region

Holiday Accommodation in Northern Region

For accommodation in Northern Region see:
• Deneysville • Koppies • Koonstad • Parys • Villiers

Or to see all accommodation in this region at once, visit Northern Free State 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.