Southern Drakensberg Scenery
Barkly East epitomises the phrase ‘off-the-beaten-track’, and the overall feel of the region and Southern Drakensberg scenery ranges somewhere between wild and untamed.
Remote guest farms, spectacular mountain landscapes, snow-capped peaks, fly-fishing for wild trout, roaring log fires, wonderful birding, alpine vegetation, wide-open spaces and starry night skies... that’s all part of the deal when you visit the Senqu Region.
Situated near the southern tip of the rugged Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal, this town on the banks of Langkloofspruit is one of the highest-lying towns in South Africa. Barkly East was founded in 1874 and named for Sir Henry Barkly, the governor of the Cape Colony from 1870 to 1877.
The pride and joy of Barkly East are its three historic churches, all built in the 1800s - Walk through town to view them and you will agree: there’s the sandstone Dutch Reformed Church (1877), the St Stephens Anglican Church (1889) and the Methodist Church (1884). Ancient trees and rambling gardens, a couple of shops, a few guest houses and a smattering of Victorian cottages complete this picture of countrylife idyll.
Nestling in the foothills of the Cape Drakensberg at 1813 metres, Barkly East is one of the highest, coldest South African holiday towns in ...
Back in the day, there was a period of four months during which Boer forces occupied Barkly East and the Free State flag fluttered over the ...
As with so many places, locals contend that Barkly East has South Africa’s healthiest climate and finest trout fishing. Some even claim th...