Bloemfontein
Table of Contents: Culture and History / Travel to Bloemfontein, visa requirements Flights to Bloemfontein, airtickets By train By car / Distances Buses to Bloemfontein / Get around By Car / Bloemfontein attractions and sightseeing / City tours / Learn / Work / Shopping, Bloemfontein souvenirs / Good restaurants and cheap meals / Bloemfontein nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Hotels, youth hostels, lodging / Camping / Budget / Midrange / Splurge / Contact / Stay Safe / Cope / Get out More from Motheo: Bloemfontein |
Bloemfontein (Fountain of flowers), [1], is the judicial capital of South Africa. It is also the capital of the Free State Province.
This is a World Cup 2010 host city with games to be played at the Free State Stadium.
Culture and History
Bloemfontein was founded in 1846 and today has a population of around half a million people.
J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings was born in Bloemfontein in 1892. In 1923, the African National Congress (ANC) political party was founded in Bloemfontein.
Travel to Bloemfontein, visa requirements
Flights to Bloemfontein, airtickets
Bloemfontein Airport [2] is just outside the city and a number of flights to major South African cities take off from here, operated by South African Airways [3] and SA Airlink [4]. Low-cost airline 1Time [5] recently started flights to Johannesburg and Mango airlines [6] fly to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.
See Air travel in South Africa for more information.
By train
Bloemfontein is a major rail junction in the middle of South Africa. From here, Spoornet operates regular trains to all points of the country : south to Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and East London, west to Kimberley, north to Johannesburg and east to Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
The train station is in the city centre, on the corner of Maitland and Harvey streets.
For train ticket bookings, phone 086 000 8888 (from within SA) or +27 (0)11 774 4555 (from outside SA).
By car
The N1 and N6 national highways meet in Bloemfontein, making it easily reachable from any part of the country.
The N1 northbound from Bloemfontein towards Gauteng is a toll road.
Distances
- Bloemfontein-Johannesburg: 398km
- Bloemfontein-Cape Town: 1004km
- Bloemfontein-Maseru: 137km
- Bloemfontein-Port Elizabeth: 677km
Buses to Bloemfontein
A number of bus services offer connections to major South African cities.
- Greyhound, ☎ +27 (0)83 915-9000, [7].
- Intercape Mainliner, ☎ +27 (0)21 380-4400, [8].
- Translux, [9].
- SA Roadlink, ☎ +27 (0)11 333-2223, [10].
Get around
By Car
As with most of South Africa, it is best to hire a car.
- Avis, Bloemfontein Airport, ☎ +27 (0)51 433-2331, [11]. Open 6AM to 8PM weekdays, 8AM to 4PM on Saturdays.
- Tempest, Bloemfontein Airport, ☎ +27 (0)51 433-2146, [12]. Open 6:30AM to 6:30PM weekdays, 8AM to 2PM on Saturdays.
- Hertz, Bloemfontein Airport, ☎ +27 (0)51 400-2100, [13]. Open 6:30AM to 7:30PM weekdays, 7:30AM to 5PM on Saturdays.
Bloemfontein attractions and sightseeing
- Anglo Boer War Museum, Monument Road, ☎ +27 (0)51 447-3447, [14]. For a history on the war 1899 to 1902
- Boyden Observatory, ☎ +27 (0)84 429-9080 (gerrit@cosmicsafari.com), [15]. Explore the southern skies under dark and clear Free State conditions
- Choet Visser Rugby Museum, ☎ +27 (0)51 436-4124. By appointment only.
- Fire Station Museum, Erlich Park Fire Station, Church Street, ☎ +27 (0)51 405-8730 (braam@civic.mangaung.co.za), [16]. By appointment. 17 vintage fire engines as well as a number of cars, bikes steam engines and even ox wagons.
- National Botanical Garden, Rayton Road,off Dan Pienaar Drive, ☎ +27 (0)51 436 361 (fsnbg@sanbi.org), [17]. 8AM to 6PM daily. R10 entrance fee.
- National Museum, 36 Aliwal Street, ☎ +27 (0)51 447-9609 (ornito@nasmus.co.za), [18]. Open 8AM to 5PM Monday to Friday, 10AM to 5PM on Saturday and 12PM to 5:30PM on Sundays.. Home to the Florisbad skull. R5 entrance fee.
- Oliewenhuis Art Museum, 16 Harry Smith Street, ☎ +27 (0)51 447-9609 (oliewen@nasmus.co.za), [19]. Open 8AM to 5PM Monday to Friday and 10AM to 5PM on Saturday. Free entrance.
- Women's Memorial.
- Presidency Museum, Pres. Brand Street, ☎ +27 (0)51 448-0949. Open 10AM to 12:15PM and 1PM to 4PM Tuesday to Friday. This former residence of presidents of the Orange Free Stare Republic has been restored to what it would have been at the turn of the century.
- Queens Fort Military Museum, 116 Church Street, ☎ +27 (0)51 447-5478 (naln@majuba.ofs.gov.za). Open 10AM to 12:15PM and 1PM to 4PM Monday to Friday. Exhibitions on the two Boer wars and the apartheid struggle.
City tours
- Go to the Waterfront
- Play a round of golf
- Visit one of the numerous game reserves in the area and go sightseeing / hunting
- Take a walk through the tree-lined President Brand Street and visit the various museums
- Take a drive through the northern suburbs and see the lush gardens
- Visit the City Zoo
Learn
- University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, ☎ +27 (0)51 401-3219 (niemannaja.rd@mail.uovs.ac.za, fax: +27 (0)51 401-9185), [20].
Work
Shopping, Bloemfontein souvenirs
Good restaurants and cheap meals
- Fishpaste restaurant and bar, 31 President Steyn ave, Westdene, ☎ +27 (0)51 430-2662. The place to go. Excellent food in an interesting atmosphere.
Bloemfontein nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.
Hotels, youth hostels, lodging
Camping
- Bains Caravan Park, 31 Kimberley Rd, ☎ +27 (0)51 451-1115.
Budget
Midrange
- Bains Game Lodge (Follow Nelson Mandela Drive for 2km outside the city, entrance gates on the right), ☎ +27 (0)51 451-1928 (info@bainsgamelodge.co.za), [21]. Serviced Chalets.
- City Lodge, Cnr Nelson Mandela Drive & Parfitt Avenue, ☎ +27 (0)51 444-2974 (clbloem.resv@citylodge.co.za), [22]. From 410.
- President Hotel, 1 Union Avenue, ☎ +27 (0)51 430-1111 (preshot@iafrica.com), [23]. From R515.
- Southern Sun, Cnr. Nelson Mandela and Melville Drive, Brandwag, ☎ +27 (0)51 444-1253 (bloemfontein@southernsun.com). From R700.
- Bloemfontein Spa, Raytonweg, Lilyvale, ☎ +27(51)4361567, [24]. From R410.
Splurge
- Halevy Heritage Hotel, ☎ +27 (0)51 403-0600 (info@halevyheritage.com), [25]. From R700.
Contact
Stay Safe
Cope
Get out
- Visit the beautiful Karoo town of Graaff-Reinet and the Mountain Zebra National Park in the south.
- Thaba 'Nchu, 60km outside Bloemfontein has a luxury hotel and casino complex as well as Maria Moroka Nature Reserve.
- The N6 will take you to East London and the N1 will take you to Gauteng or Cape Town
More from Motheo: Bloemfontein |
China travel tips: Language / pensions culture in Barcelona / cheap youth hostels singapore / hotels and hostels in Trastevere in Rome / Major Morocco tourist attractions / South Africa political attractions / Vancouver visitors guide, culture & youth hostels / Las Vegas hotels, top casinos, tours and shows
