LAINGSBURG FLOOD MUSEUM

Enjoy authentic Karoo hospitality with liberal lashings of culture and history at the Laingsburg Flood Museum.

On 25 January 1981, the Karoo changed forever. The little town of Laingsburg was hit by what continues to be one of the most dramatic natural disasters ever to have happened in South Africa, the Laingsburg Flood. The tragedy and destruction that this caused could not easily be forgotten by those who experienced it, but is also immortalised in the Laingsburg Flood Museum, which is situated in the town of the same name, deep in the Western Cape Province and the Great Karoo.

THE SNAKE EAGLE THINKING PATH

The Snake Eagle Thinking Path in Matjiesfontein is the first permanent geoglyph created as part of the Karoo Geoglyph Project.

The impressive structure – and meander – is in honour of a breeding pair of Black Chested Snake Eagles who are resident in the area. The drawing measures at 170m x 57m, and the continuous line covers a distance of 1536m.

HISTORIC TOUR OF MATJIESFONTEIN

A town stuck in time, this popular train stop is most well-known for its Lord Milner hotel serving up great breakfast and ghost stories.

Try a fun and different way to explore the town’s rich history with VoiceMap – a self-guided walking tour of the town (virtual tour also available).

 Simply download the app (it’s free) on Google Play or Apple Store – or use the QR code – it uses your location to play audio automatically and includes offline maps. Just put on your headphones and you’re ready to explore and learn about the different facets of Matjies’s history.

ANGLO BOER WAR BLOCKHOUSE

The Boer War Blockhouse located in Laingsburg at the Geelbek River railway bridge was built in 1902 by the British. In 1965, this guard tower, used as a defense against the Boers, was declared a National Monument.

The Laingsburg area saw plenty of action during the Anglo Boer War, as a result several Blockhouses were constructed in the region as a means to manage the movements of the Boers, who brought warfare and strife into the territory controlled by the British Colonial Authorities.