Towns: Arlington, Bethlehem, Clarens, Clocolan, Excelsior, Ficksburg, Fouriesburg, Harrismith, Hobhouse, Kestell, Ladybrand, Lindley, Marquard, Memel, Paul Roux, Petrus Steyn, Qwa-Qua/ Phuthadijhaba, Reitz, Rosendal, Senekal, Slabberts, Steynsrus, Tweespruit, Van Reenen, Vrede, Warden.
With its beautiful snow-capped mountains providing a backdrop to numerous romantic hide-aways, this untouched, pristine area with its breathtaking scenery, possesses a grandeur of majestic proportions. Hiking trails meander through densely vegetated valleys and wild gorges created by centuries of wind, water and fire, while Bushman paintings evoke images of lost civilizations and ancient myths - truly an area where the magic and mystery of the Free State can be experienced at first hand. The Eastern Free State is truly one of the essential must-visit areas for any foreign visitor to South Africa.
Almost out of place in the stubbornly gentle topography of the Free State, the better part of the eastern section of the province is starkly rugged and mountainous. The Drakensberg and Maluti Ranges peer over the Free State to the left and Lesotho to the right like schoolmasters. Separated by these sandstone walls, the Basotho people have defended themselves as one against invaders for centuries, refusing to step down from their lofty strongholds. The 'difaqane', the migration of foreigners from the north and the east, which forced people into cannibalism and starvation, found an unconquerable match in the never ending peaks and troughs. The Basotho first came into contact with European settlers in the 19th century resulting in a number of wars, fought along the caves and slopes next to the Caledon River.
The towns of the Eastern Free State display a notable rustic character, with for instance a town such as Clarens with its Swiss-like appearance and concentration of artists having truly a charm to be found nowhere else. The commercial centre of the region is Bethlehem, with an attractive array of sandstone buildings throughout the town. Harrismith on the N3 between Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal is also a key industrial centre. In Qwa-Qwa further to the west Phuthadtitjhaba houses a modern industrial area managed by the Free State Development Corporation.
From a scenic point of view, the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, Qwa-Qwa National Park and Witsieshoek Mountain Resort offer some of the cream of the crop in the province. The magnificent views over the nearby Drakensberg Amphi Theatre and Devil's Tooth are simply unsurpassable. The massive Sterkfontein Dam outside Harrismith is not only ideal for watersports, but is also a primary source of water for the Vaal Dam, which in turn is the main supplier of water for Gauteng Province as South Africa's industrial heartland. The Salpeterkrans sandstone overhang near Fouriesburg is a bizarre example of wind erosions. The bird watching mecca of Seekoeivlei Nature Reserve near Memel constitutes a wetland with RAMSAR status and is surrounded with private game and holiday farms.
