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Town of the week - Harrismith

───   15:44 Thu, 06 Jan 2022

Town of the week - Harrismith | News Article
Photo credit: harrismith.com

This week, Aaron took a short left off the N5 and stopped in Harrismith. The town of Harrismith is situated in Thabo Mofutsanyana region of the Free State province, South Africa.

JayBee's hometown, Harrismith, was laid out in 1849. It was then named after the British Governor, Sir Harry Smith who made efforts of convincing Voortrekkers not to leave the Natal area (Cape colony). The town is currently an important crossroads in the Republic of South Africa proving important land trade routes. The town is situated midway between Durban to the southeast and Johannesburg to the northwest, about 300 km. it is located alongside the N3 highway, next to Wilge River.  This town has become more popular because of its beauty and an unlimited number of tourist attractions. The town has become famous for refreshment stop along the N3 highway. It offers a good place for refueling of trucks and vehicles.

The town has spectacular soapstone houses which were built in the 19th century. The British influence is still evident in the town. The town has buildings of British architectural styles. An example is the Blockhouse which was built by the British near the Botanical garden.  Present day tourist attractions include comfortable accommodation, water sports at Sterkfontein dam, golf sports, hiking trails, mountain biking, climbing and excursions, and game farms. There are attractive wildlife and nature in the surrounding regions. Examples are the Royal Natal Park and Golden Gate Highlands National Park which offers wildlife adventures and bird watching. Other tourist attractions in the town are Boer battlefields, tourist fishing, Debora Retief Garden, the Market Hall Museum, craft markets, township tours and as mentioned above, a variety of historical buildings.  Read more about the town here.


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