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Mpumalanga - Lydenburg |
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On the western slopes of the Mpumalanga escarpment. A largish, quiet, very pleasant centre whose name means 'town of suffering' - which certainly doesn't reflect its character. It was so called to commemorate the trials and tribulations of its Voortrekker founders, who moved to the area in 1849 after abandoning their first, fever-ridden settlement at Ohrigstad, some 50 kilometres to the north. The town - hub of the tiny Boer republic of Lydenburg for a few years (1857-60) - flourished, drawing prosperity from the farmlands around the Strerkspruit River, from the gold that had been discovered and was being mined in the hills to the east, and from its strategic position on the west-east trading route. It now boasts some broad thoroughfares, modern buildings, all the visitor amenities, and a surrounding countryside renowned for its scenic beauty. A large map at the corner of Viljoen and Voortrekker streets will direct you to the waterfalls (quite lovely) and other drawcards of the wider area. Lydenburg Museum The area is rich in artifacts from the distant past; pride of place among the exhibits are the replications of seven mysterious terracotta masks, called the Lydenburg Heads, dating to about the fifth century - which ranks them among the earliest figurative sculptures found in Southern Africa. They are visually striking, even beautiful, pieces; the originals are in the South African Museum in Cape Town. Gustav Klingbiel Nature Reserve This fine expanse of upland countryside, sprawling across the slopes of Mount Anderson to the east of town, is sanctuary for a broad range of antelope species and to some 100 different kinds of bird. Of special interest are the ruins, the remains of settlements and stone terraces, dating from the Iron Age. Day walks and hiking trails have been laid out. Trout Hatcheries Just outside town, the hatcheries breed freshwater fish for distribution in the rivers and streams of the region (this is quite splendid trout-fishing country). There is a small aquarium on site. Lydenburg Falls These deserve a special visit: they're on the Dorps River and comprise three cascades that plunge down, in series, for an impressive 240 metres and more. They feed the local power station. Long Tom Pass This is the most spectacular stretch of the road that links Lydenburg with forestry town of Sabie (see Graskop above), and was named after the huge, 150-millimetre French Creusot field gun used by the Boer forces with (for the British) annoying effect during the mopping-up operations following the relief of Ladysmith in1900. It's memorable for the steep and tortuous gradients en route, the grand vistas and for the four unusually shaped peaks known as the Knuckles. Kruger National Park South Africa's best-known wildlife sanctuary lies less than an hour's drive to the east; access from here is through either the Malelane gate (in the park's extreme south) or the Paul Kruger gate, which leads on to the Skukuza rest-camp. Sabie lies to the east; Nelspruit on the N4 to the south-east (take the R37). |
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LYDENBURG Western Cape
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