08
August
2012

Harrismith Snow

Harrismith

Harrismith, named after Sir Harry Smith who was a British governor of the Cape Colony, is a large city in the Free State province of South Africa. It is situated by the Wilge River, on the N3 highway approximately midway between Johannesburg, about 300 km north-west, and Durban. The town is at the junction with the N5 highway, which continues west towards the provincial capital Bloemfontein, around 340 km south-west. This important crossroads in South Africa's land trade routes is surrounded by mesas and buttes and located at base of one of these called Platberg ("Flat Mountain" translated from Afrikaans).

History

The town was founded in 1849 and named after British Governor Harry Smith, who tried to persuade the Voortrekkers not to abandon Natal.

Tags Getaway Harrismith Nature Snow