The Free State Province of South Africa

 The landscape of the Free State is characterized by the typical expanse of the South African interior plateau. The treeless grass plains are now maize and wheat fields or, especially in the drier regions, sheep farms. The "Platte Land" is the heart of rural South Africa. To this day many of the Afrikaans families who live here, claim ancestors who came into this area during the Great Trek. These very hospitable people are known to be conservative and God-fearing. Their moral values are stamped by the Calvinist Dutch Reformed Church (NG Kerk) that came into the country with the very first colonists of the Cape in 1652.

International tourism has - quite wrongly - neglected the Free State so far. But the province offers many worthwhile spots. Besides the very attractive Golden Gate Highlands National Park, the game and nature reserves of Sterkfontein Dam, Willem Pretoriusand Soetdoering are of particular interest. They are never as crowded as the big game parks in Mpumalanga or in KwaZulu-Natal, and excellent accommodation and camping sites are available.

Another major destination in the Free State is the captitalBloemfontein which has a rich cultural offer.