Colesberg

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Geography and History

Colesberg is a traveler’s oasis on the main Cape Town to Johannesburg route. Colesberg is situated in the Great Karoo in the Northern Cape on the N1 approximately halfway between Johannesburg and Cape Town at the foot of Coleskop. This makes it the ideal stop over place when travelling between Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Colesberg lies in typical Karoo veld and is surrounded by koppies (little hills). The most famous is Coleskop, which can be seen from a distance of over 40km. The curious thing about this koppie is that as you travel towards it, it never seems to get any nearer!

In a sheep-farming area spread over half-a-million hectares, greater Colesberg breeds many of the country’s top merinos. It is also renowned for producing high-quality racehorses and many stud farms, including one owned by legendary golfer, Gary Player, are nearby.

Activities

Colesberg has several national monuments, one of which is the Colesberg-Kemper Museum. A fine example of 19th century Karoo architecture, it originally was the Colesberg Bank and later the Standard Bank. It now houses fascinating relics of the town’s rich tapestry of history.

Activities in and around Colesberg include:

Doornkloof Nature Reserve: On the south-eastern banks of the Vanderkloof Dam, the 9 388ha reserve features kudu, eland, brown hyaena, mountain reedbuck, steenbok, grey duiker, bat-eared fox, aardvark and aardwolf.

About 173 bird species inhabit the area. It also features a 10km stretch of the Seekoei River, one of the most important tributaries of the Orange River. Exploring the koppies in the area is an archaeological delight. These reveal stone-age artifacts and other interesting fragments of the past.

Those who enjoy the Great Outdoors of the Great Karoo will enjoy the fauna and flora of in the veld around the town.

Accommodation

Colesberg has comfortable hotels and motels, affordable overnight guest rooms, chalets, self-catering cottages, B&B establishments and a spacious caravan park. There are also several guest farms and hunting lodges in the district. Many of Colesberg’s original buildings, in pristine condition, are fine examples of early Karoo architecture.

Photos and information courtesy of Colesberg Tourism.

Colesberg Tourism Office Information
Web address:	http://colesberginfo.co.za/
Telephone:	+27 (0) 51 753 0678
Fax:	086 601 1015
E-mail:	colesbergtourism@telkomsa.net
Address:	Murray Str, Colesberg 9795