Vrede

The small historical town of Vrede is a great destination for those seeking outdoors activities. Situated on the N3 in very northern corner of the Eastern Free State, near the borders with Gauteng and Mpumalanga, the once sleepy ‘Boer’ Village is a popular stop-over between Jo’burg and Durban, and there are several art galleries, coffee shops and quaint guest houses to cater for travellers.

Vrede is an agricultural town, surrounded by farmlands and low lying mountain ranges, known for its stunning collection of Boer heritage buildings, historical monuments, and a beautiful sandstone church. However, what has really put Vrede on the map are the surrounding rural and nature areas that offer outdoors activities such as 4×4 routes, MTB, horse trails, caving, abseiling, rock climbing, hiking, bass and trout fishing.

There are several holiday farms offering outdoors activities around Vrede, including Koefontein and Langberg Springs. The Emanzini Country Resort incorporates the Vrede Dam where you can enjoy boating and watersports.

Getting there. Vrede is situated at the juncture of the R34, the R543 and the R545, just off the N3 between Johannesburg and Harrismith en-route to Durban. Follow the N3 south from JHB and look ot for the turnoff to Vrede and Volksrust on your left after about 200km.