The name means ‘fountain of flowers ’, and it is popularly known as the City of Roses because of the abundance of these flowers. Bloemfontein, the capital of Free State province, was officially founded as a fort in 1846 by the British army. It is the birthplace of Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien.

Clarens is known as the jewel of the Eastern Free State. The picturesque little town is an artists’ haven and its spectacular scenery is a drawcard for visitors. It is surrounded by mountains and is situated only a few kilometres from the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. It offers something for everyone.

This picturesque little town is about one-and-a-half hours’ drive from Johannesburg. Parys is the Afrikaans word for Paris – the town got its name from a German surveyor who said the area reminded him of Paris on the River Seine. There is plenty to do here, including river rafting, waterskiing and angling.

Founded in 1849, Harrismith is well known as a convenient refuelling stop between Johannesburg and Durban. Nearby there’s wildlife, birding, windsurfing, fly-fishing and views of the Drakensberg.

The land around the town, which was founded in the mid-1800s, proved ideal for growing wheat. Hence it was named Bethlehem, meaning ‘house of bread’ in Hebrew. Today the town is the largest commercial centre in the eastern Free State.

This large industrial town was established in 1954 to provide housing facilities for the employees of Sasol – a large petrochemical company. It is situated close to the Vaal Dam, which provides excellent opportunities for water sports.

On 16 April 1946, a rich gold find was made on the farm Welkom. The town officially came into being on 15 April 1947 and received city status in 1955. It is one of very few cities in the world that has been wholly pre-planned. Its economy centres on mining. Welkom is a Dutch and Afrikaans word for ‘Welcome’.