The Free StateFree State Attractions
Embraced by several of South Africa’s provinces and sharing a border with the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, the Free State lies in the heart of the country, between the Vaal River in the north and the Orange River in the south.
The Free State is a rural province of wide horizons and blue skies, with farmland, mountains, goldfields and widely dispersed towns. This tranquil land of the windmill is famous for its warm South African hospitality and a mix of culture which is clearly evident in street names, public buildings, monuments and museums. Dressed sandstone buildings abound the highlands, while beautifully decorated Sotho houses dot the grasslands. Some of South Africa's most valued San (Bushman) rock art is found in the Free State.
The Free State is divided into 5 distinct regions and offers many 'must-see' attractions. Select a region from the brief descriptions below to view in-depth information about each region and to see popular attractions and destinations in these areas.
Destinations and Regions of the Free State
Lejweleputswa Region
Overnight? Accommodation in Lejweleputswa
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...
More information and photographs: Lejweleputswa Region Information
Motheo Region
Overnight? Accommodation in Motheo
Motheo is one of 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...
More information and photographs: Motheo Region Information
Northern Free State
Stay? Accommodation in Northern Free State
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...
More information and photographs: Northern Free State Information
Thabo Mofutsanyana
Stay? Accommodation Thabo Mofutsanyana
Resting between the Orange River in the south and the Vaal River in the north, the Thabo Mofutsanyana (Eatern Free State) boasts a rugged and mountainous area in the east that is completely contrary to the Free State image of endless maize fields...
More information and photographs: Thabo Mofutsanyana Information
Xhariep Region
Overnight? Accommodation in Xhariep
Lying in the south western Free State, the Xhariep Region, named after the Gariep Dam, is typically dry and probably the region most likely to fulfil the picture held by many of the Free State as a place of endless space, vast tracts of sheep and...
More information and photographs: Xhariep Region Information
