South Africa's Free State

     Feel free to explore the Free State - an eclectic mix of imposing state buildings and artistic havens. This tranquil land is the agricultural and geographic centre of South Africa. Out of all the provinces, this one sets the classic scene of high-lying, spacious grass-covered prairie land with deep-blue African skies, majestic cloud formations in summer and a skyline and the sunny veld. The Free State is fast becoming a tourist destination in its own right.

     Famous for its warm South African hospitality, traditional Afrikaner farm-style cuisine, and decidedly slower-paced lifestyle, this province has become a mecca for holiday-makers intent on exploring small-town South Africa. Bloemfontein is home to the impressive National Botanical Gardens, boasting both an orange blossom arbour and a petrified tree, said to be more than 150 million years old.

     Also still standing, and unaltered, is the 1848 First Raadstal, a simple thatch-roofed building which was once the cradle of government, church and education in the Free State.