Cattle also coped well with hot summers and bitterly cold winters and the town rapidly became the largest commercial, industrial and educational centre in the eastern Free State and by tradition the northern terminus of the ‘mountain route’.
Just outside Bethlehem is a cairn of rocks that is very significant to the Sotho people of Lesotho. On their way to work at the Witwatersrand gold mines, the workers would drop a stone on the pile to ask their ancestors to protect them from accidents in the mines. On the way home across the border to Lesotho they would once again drop a stone on the pile to thank their ancestors for a safe journey. The pile is still growing!
DRAMATIC BACKDROP TO TOWN
The Maluti Mountains provide a dramatic backdrop to the town founded by the Voortrekkers during the 1840's and is the setting for a whole bunch of historical sandstone buildings, some now provincial heritage sites.
More than one museum in this town – the most well known being Baartman House with its exhibits of wagons and horse carriages, period furniture and farm implements – give visitors to Bethlehem an idea of the lifestyle of the people venturing into the hinterland.
And, if you want to take some of this home with you – second hand furniture shops abound – do not go to Bethlehem in a small car if you intend looking at these shops – milk urns, stacks of chests – even some original yellowood wagon chests are still available and heaps of other Voortrekker and wagon mementos.
TWO MEMORABLE EVENTS OCURRED
Not far away is the town of Clarens where residents like to think that two memorable events occurred in 1912.
The first was the establishment of Clarens - the second was the launching of the “unsinkable” Titanic. Tragically, the Titanic did sink and an unknown resident looked toward the “nek”, saw the prominent jutting rock and said, “It looks like the Titanic”, and that’s what the rock formation has been called ever since.
Clarens also has more trees than most other Free State towns – pale willows, fruit trees that are splendid in spring covered in colourful blossoms, really unforgetable, lombard poplars grand in autumn dressed more magnficantly than any designer could imagine in shades of golds and browns, rusts and reds that attract artists, photographers and nature lovers alike.
Now a popular haunt for art lovers and collectors it is also a regular destination for motorcycle lovers
SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINOUS SPLENDOUR
Clarens is part of the scenic Highlands Route and is surrounded by mountainous splendour. The Rooiberge is the range encompassing the village, whilst further on towards the southeast, the mighty Maluti’s stand proud in shades of purple and blue. All around are the sandstone cliffs with their multi-coloured layers - this horizontal strata is a unique geological feature of the area, and is known as the Clarens formation.
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