Bloemfontein Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
judicial capital of South Africa
About Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the judicial capital ofSouth Africaand the capital of theFree State Province. Bloemfontein was founded in 1846 and now has a population of around half a million people. J. R. R. Tolkien, author ofThe Lord of the Rings, was born in Bloemfontein in 1892. Despite Tolkien's fame, there is surprisingly little commemorating him in his city of birth. In 1923, the African National Congress (ANC) political party was founded in Bloemfontein. Today, Bloemfontein is a compact city surrounded by sprawling suburbs. It hosts sub-Saharan Africa's first digital planetarium, the Naval Hill Planetarium and Boyden Observatory, an astronomical research observatory erected by Harvard University. The city centre is safe to walk around during the day, but many of the city's activities are focuse
Top Attractions in Bloemfontein
Explore the best things to see and do in Bloemfontein:
- ★Anglo-Boer War Museum
- ★Boyden Observatory
- ★Choet Visser Rugby Museum
- ★Fire Station Museum
- ★Manguang Oval
- ★National Botanical Garden
- ★National Museum
- ★National Women's Monument
Where to Eat in Bloemfontein
Must-try local food and restaurants:
- 🍴Beethoven's Cafe Restaurant
- 🍴Cape Town Fish Market
- 🍴Fishpaste restaurant and bar
- 🍴Mexican Restaurant
- 🍴New York's
Where to Stay in Bloemfontein
- 🏨Bains Caravan Park
- 🏨Bains Game Lodge
- 🏨Bloemfontein Spa
- 🏨City Lodge
- 🏨Florentia Guest House
- 🏨Halevy Heritage Hotel
Bloemfontein Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 14 sections including: