Bloemfontein
The City Of Roses
General Information
Other Name: -, , State: Free State, South Africa
Area: 0
Languages Spoken: -
Long Distance Code: +27
Importance: Bloemfontein is popularly and poetically known as "the city of roses", owing to the abundance of these flowers and the annual rose festival held there.
Best Time to Visit: - to - and -
International Access: -Description
Bloemfontein for "spring of Bloem (bloom)", "flower spring" or "fountain of flowers" is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa as well as one of the nation's three capitals being the judicial capital.Although modern day Bloemfontein has a reputation for its flowers in an otherwise arid region, the origin of the city's name is unclear. Popular legends include an ox named "Bloem" owned by one of the pioneer farmers that was taken by a lion near a fountain on his property, while another story names Jan Bloem (1775-1858), a Korana Griqua leader who inhabited the area. Finally, some people prefer a simple derivation of the Afrikaans words for "fountain of flowers" or "flower spring.Bloemfontein is the economic and cultural centre of the Free State. Some major companies in the food, furniture and glass industries are headquartered here. The cultural offerings are well known far beyond the town borders. The performances of the Sand du Plessis Theatre, one of the most modern in the world, are regularly fully booked weeks in advance.Location
-Climate
Continental Climate
Boyden Observatory houses the third largest optical telescope in South Africa and provides tourists the opportunity to experience the dark and clear African skies through star watching and telescope viewing. Boyden is removed from the noise and lights of the city. Its long and auspicious history, coupled with cutting-edge astrophysical research, creates a special atmosphere unique for such a facility. The Boyden hill contains numerous buildings, telescope domes, vantage points, and a world-class auditorium.
Opposite the Court of Appeal is the Fourth Raadsaal, one of the city's handsomest buildings. The foundation stone was laid by President F. W. Reitz in 1890 and the building was completed in 1893. It is a Renaissance-style building in red brick with a prominent dome and a portico of Ionic columns. The last session of the Parliament of the old Boer republic of the Orange Free State was held here before the occupation of Bloemfontein by British forces in March 1900. It is now the seat of the Provincial Council of the province of Free State. In front of the building is a monument (by Coert Steynberg) to Christiaan de Wet, a general during the Boer War.
In the handsome Old Government Building (1908), is the National Afrikaans Literary Museum a treasure house of African literature, with manuscripts, books, photographs and other items belonging to well-known South African writers. In the same building are the Afrikaans Music Museum (musical instruments) and the Theatre Museum (theatrical costumes). In the Sculpture Garden are busts of famous poets and authors who wrote in Afrikaans.
To the northeast the central area extends almost to Naval Hill, which is reached on a street branching off Union Avenue. Since 1930 this low hill has been occupied by the Franklin Nature Reserve (area 250ha/620ac), with antelopes, zebras and giraffes.From Naval Hill there is a fine view of the city. Also on the hill is the former Lamont Hussey Observatory, now converted into a theater. The large white sculpture of a horse on the east side of the hill was set up during the Boer War and served as a landmark for the British cavalry.
The National Museum has a large collection of fossils and archaeological material, including the famous Florisbad Skull and one of the largest known dinosaurs. The ethnological section has interesting displays on the life of the Bushmen, and there are also exhibitions on the history of the Free State.
The Orchid House in Hamilton Park, at the foot of Naval Hill, has the largest collection of orchids in South Africa.