Discover south-western Free State

On your way to Cape Town via the N1? Very few travelers realise that one of the Free State’s most beautiful and interesting areas start just south of Bloemfontein.

About 30 minutes from Bloemfontein on the N1 take the Reddersburg turn off. Drive through the decaying glory of the picturesque Edenburg on the way to Trompsburg.

Edenburg

It’s only a 30 minutes drive from Edenburg to Trompsburg, but the veld will already seem more Karoo like: sparser, more hilly and browner. Trompsburg you will find is a thriving little town and has one of the best schools in the province.
The road between Edenburg and Trompsburg

It is also home to one of the best know writers in Afrikaans, Karel Schoeman. Other Afrikaans artists like singer, poet and academic Andries Bezuidenhout also spends his free time here.

Andries Bezuidenhout

From Trompsburg it’s a short and even more gorgeous drive to Philippolis, the oldest town in the Free State, and arguably the most attractive. It has become a thriving cultural center, with art galleries and its famous Witblits festivals (a South African moonshine).

Phlippolis

Not far from Philippolis you’ll find Koffiefontein. It is here on the huge farm Ja Nee (yes no) that Steven Le Roux wrote several acclaimed avant guard books under the name Etienne Le Roux, while reading gnosticism and experimenting with alchemy. One of his books were duly banned.

Picture – David Goldblatt.

Pellissier Guest house is ideally placed as a start or end point for a visit to the south western Free State.

All other pictures by ZuluZulu Blog productions.