Himeville

Himeville is a small town about 130km from Pietermaritzburg in the southern region of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is the gateway to numerous nature reserves in the area as well as to the famous Sani Pass which takes you over the mountains to neighbouring Lesotho.

The town was established in 1889 and named after the Prime Minister of Natal, Sir Albert Hime. It is steeped in history and one of the main attractions is the Himeville Museum. These stone buildings date back to 1900 and were built as a fort or laager before being used as a prison until 1972.

The high altitude and proximity to the Drakensberg make for extreme weather conditions with heavy snow falls in winter, but the breathtaking scenery and the nature reserves more than compensate. The Himeville Nature Reserve is adjacent to the town, the Cobham State Forest within 14km and the Mzimkhulu Nature Reserve, the Garden Castle Nature Reserve and the Swamp Nature Reserve are a little further to the west.

Another claim to fame is the Splashy Fen Music Festival which takes place on the farm of the same name every year over the Easter weekend. Thousands of music fans descend on the area to enjoy the music, arts and crafts and the revelry.

There are three golf courses in the area and the abundance of water make it a great place for canoeing and rafting. It is also a mecca for fly-fishermen – the Underberg-Himeville Trout Fishing Club can access 60 dams and over 160km of river.

Getting there: turn off the N3 at Howick towards Bulwer and Underberg. Turn right at Underberg to Himeville.