Driving in Bloemfontein, South Africa

• Posted by: Editor
• On: 05/10/2007 09:01:30
• In: South Africa Car Hire

Bloemfontein was founded in 1846 as a British outpost. In 1902 it was declared capital of the Free State and later in 1910 it became the judicial capital of South Africa. The city will host a number of the 2010 World Cup games in the Free State Stadium.

What to see in the Bloemfontein area?

Bloemfontein has much to offer the tourist with attractions such as the Anglo Boer War Museum. This tells the story of the Second Anglo-Boer War - 1899 to 1902. Another popular visitor attraction is the Women’s Memorial located on the outskirts of the city. This is dedicated to the 45,000 women and children who died in the British Concentration Camps during this war.

Bloemfontein has a number of other museums including the National Museum, which houses the Florisbad Skull, among other interesting displays and collections. Others include the Oliewenhuis Art Museum, home of the PELMAMA Permanent Art Collection, the Presidency Museum, which for a brief time served as the residence for the Free State Presidency, and the Queens Fort Military Museum, which has further information on both Boer wars and the Apartheid years.

If you're from the northern hemisphere this is a great opportunity to see the stars of the southern hemisphere. A visit to the Boyden Observatory, which is located just outside the city, is well worthwhile. It's home to the 3rd largest optical telescope in South Africa.

The Franklin Game Reserve on Naval Hill is possibly the only game reserve in the world to be entirely surrounded by a city. It's home to a number of wild animal species and is always worth a visit. This reserve is fairly small, however, and may be missing your favourites. Alternatively, you can travel outside the city to check out the Caledon Game Reserve, the Sandveld Nature Reserve or the larger Willem Pretorius Game Reserve.

Why not hire a car?

If you want the freedom to explore Bloemfontein and the Free State Province at your leisure, your best bet is to hire a car. You can pick up your car rental at Bloemfontein Airport. The airport is about 10km to the east of Bloemfontein. It's definitely the best way to check out the region.

If you're flying to another city e.g. Cape Town or Johannesburg, it's easy enough to get to Bloemfontein by car (you can pick up your car rental from either location). A number of national roads pass through the city. It's on the N1, which stretches from Cape Town to Pretoria while the N6 connects Bloemfontein with East London.

If you've been to Bloemfontein and have any travel tips, feel free to leave a comment in the box below. Likewise, if you're planning a trip to the Free State Province and have any queries about car hire in the area, just drop us a line.