Bloemfontein

Bloemfontein City Hall © South African Tourism

Known as the City of Roses, Bloemfontein is a small interior city that forms the economic and cultural centre of the Free State and is the judicial capital of South Africa. With wide streets, beautifully kept gardens and dated state buildings, Bloemfontein is a modern city that has an old charm about it. Surrounded by rural farmland, the metropolis is the central transport hub for the rest of the country and is visited mainly as a stopover to other destinations.

While visiting, take a stroll down the historical, tree lined President Brand street, which has been declared a national conservation area and admire the architecture of the sandstone government buildings. The Oliewenhuis Art Gallery is also a worthy sojourn as it houses magnificent work by both traditional and contemporary South African artists. The monthly art market in Kings Park, the annual Rose Festival in October and the Agricultural show in March all pull crowds from around South Africa and visiting tourists.