Dullstroom

Dullstroom is a delightfully quaint little town on the Mpumalanga Highlands Meander. The town makes for the perfect getaway, being gently tucked away among the hills and rivers of the Mpumalanga highlands.

Dullstroom is rich in history and has strong Dutch roots. During the 1880s, president Paul Kruger strongly encouraged emmigration to South Africa and set up support communities throughout Holland. A Dutch company, under the leadership of Wolterus Dull, was established to strengthen ties between the countries. The company bought two farms in the area and when the settlers established a village, it was named Dull’s stroom (shortened to Dullstroom) after Wolterus Dull and the Crocodile river which passes through it.

Today, the main attraction for tourists to Dullstroom is its magnificent trout fishing. The industry here started with the first stocking of the district dam in 1927. The present Municipal dam was built in 1965 and stocked the following year with 17 000 trout fingerlings. Since then, trout fishing has become the most important local industry for Dullstroom, as it ensures a steady year-round flow of keen fishermen and tourists.

Getting there: from Gauteng, take the N4 going East into Mpumalanga. At Belfast, take the R540. Follow the R540 into the town of Dullstroom.