Bloemfontein

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Bloemfontein is the capital of the Freestate province and judicial capital of South Africa. It is laid out in a straightforward grid and it is easy to get around in. There are several interesting places in Bloemfontein that are worth a visit.

The National Museum is on the corner of Charles and Aliwal Streets in the center of town. Across the street from the museum is and area of several blocks of impressive historic buildings. The Old Presidency is also worth a visit. It is on President Brand Street. There is a zoo in Kings Park, west of the city center.

From Signal Hill, just north of the center, you'll have good views over Bloemfontein, but from Naval Hill further north the views are even better. Naval Hill has a large white horse laid out on its side that used to be a landmark for British horsemen coming from the north. Antelope, ostrich and giraffe can be seen in the nearby Franklin Nature Reserve.
The Military Museum of the Boer Republics has exhibitions in the Anglo-Boer Wars. It is several kilometers south of town on Church Street. The nearby National Women's Monument was erected to commemorate the 26,000 Afrikaner women and children who died in British camps during the Anglo-Boer Wars.

There are many hotels and restaurants in the central Area of Bloemfontein. Transportation around the city is by bus and there are road and rail connections with most other cities in South Africa. The railway station is on the eastern side of the city center. Bloemfontein is 420 km southwest of Pretoria, in the center of the country.