Free State National Botanical Garden
Without arranging a trip to the renowned Free State National Botanical Garden, your Bloemfontein tour would be lacking. In Bloemfontein, this is one of the hot spots for nightlife. The Free State National Botanical Garden immerses visitors in the natural landscapes of indigenous woodland, grasslands, karee trees, and sculptural wild olive. It is tucked away in a quiet valley between dolerite rock outcrops. More than 400 different plant species—including roses—are raised in the 70-hectare garden, mostly from the Free State, Lesotho, and Northern Cape. The grounds include an attentively maintained park, but a large portion of them are made up of native woodlands.
Free State National Botanical Garden also boasts a recreation of a prehistoric settler's cabin, a traditional Sotho hut with a herb garden, native red-hot pokers, and a bird hide overlooking the lake where visitors can see some of the 144 species documented in the park. Keep an eye out for some of the park's smaller mammals and reptiles, as you meander through the self-guided wilderness trails. Visitors can have a picnic on the lovely lawns after touring the park or have some food at the café. It is undoubtedly one of the most romantic sites to visit in Bloemfontein because of the surrounding natural beauty.
Address: Rayton Road, off Dan Pienaar Drive, R702 Danhof, Bloemfontein 9301 South Africa
Phone: +27 51 436 3530
Opening hours: 8 am - 4:30 pm
Rating: 4.5/5.0, 116 Tripadvisor reviews
Website: www.sanbi.org
