Champagne Valley to Northern Drakensberg
Today you travel to the northern part of the Drakensberg, to the small village of Geluksburg to be precise. The village of Geluksburg lies at the foot of the Ntinwa mountains and is home to about 60 families.
Geluksburg is best known for the nearby “Lost Valley” where legend has it that in 1857, a group of Piet Retief’s trek party broke away and settled in the valley. The story tells us that five families from the group moved into this closed, isolated valley and were only discovered 115 years later by a reporter of the Rand Daily Mail.
The story has been debunked by historians who say that the land was owned by one Pieter de Heer, who had left Rotterdam in the Netherlands seeking opportunities to establish himself. De Heer eventually put together enough capital to buy livestock and the basics to start a farm and bought a piece deep within a Hidden Valley which he named Jacob’s Ladder. Locals will give you full insight into the local myths surrounding the valley.
You can take a guided tour to the bottom of the valley and enjoy spectacular views along the way.
Everyone loves a good road trip – and with a country as beautiful as South Africa, it’s easy to see why. Taking to the road is ingrained...