About Clarens, Free State

Clarens is situated in the eastern Free State which is one of the 9 provinces in South Africa about less than 20km from the Golden Gate National Park on the 

 

Northern most point of the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. Clarens offers a haven for nature lovers, art lover’s food and wine connoisseurs and anyone looking to escape the city

Accommodation in Clarens ranges from hotels guest houses, self-catering, lodges, backpackers, bed & breakfast, guest farms and country inns. Clarens is known for its spectacular sandstone mountains and mild climate along with the beautiful surroundings and the peaceful atmosphere it is no wonder that Clarens attracts a large number of tourists each year.  

Clarens has many activities for each member of the family. A few noteworthy activities are mentioned here:
Trout fishing spots in South Africa. 
Spectacular horse riding
Hiking
Mountain Biking 
Shopping 
and much more

Clarens is part of the scenic Highlands Route and surrounded by the Rooiberge, and further on by the majestic Maluti's which borders Lesotho.  Everywhere you look you will see our famous sandstone cliffs with multi-coloured layers, which is a unique geological feature of the area.
This formation is also known as the Clarens Formation. Clarens sandstone is a very popular building material in this area and beautiful sandstone lodgings abound. 

The Titanic is a prominent rock formation which welcomes all who visit the village. Its name dates back to 1912, when Clarens was established. This was also the year of the tragic sinking of the Titanic. A resident in Clarens, unknown unfortunately, looked at this rock formation and remarked that it looked very much like a sinking ship! The name stuck. Clarens has become known as the "Jewel of the Free State" - an area rich in natural beauty, where visitors come to drink in the peace and tranquillity. 
The village is endowed with more trees than most other towns in the Free State province, which paints the village in the most wonderful colours during spring, when all the fruit trees blossom. 
In Clarens every season is a spectacular display of the natural surrounding and in autumn the Lombard Poplars attract photographers and artists from all inspired by the rich colours. Many Arts & Crafts shops are scattered throughout the village, offering visitors a wide selection of original artwork.

Clarens has many great restaurants and coffee shops serving mouth-watering dishes. The mix of art, nature and food is what makes Clarens a place of peace and tranquillity and the reason why people return again and again to rejuvenate the soul.
Nearby Clarens is the Water Project which brings fresh water from Lesotho to feed into the As, Liebenbergsvlei and Wilge Rivers into the Vaal Dam. Water from the Vaal Dam is then abstracted, treated and pumped to the various users in the Rand Water Supply area.

The name Clarens was derived from an attractive village in Switzerland situated on the Northern shores of Lake Geneva - the second largest fresh water lake in Europe - near Montreaux, where President Paul Kruger spent his last days as a voluntary exile.
It was also the home of Lord Byron, and the Clarens region in Switzerland was immortalized in Rousseau's Nouvelle Heloise. It all started when in 1910 the farm "Leliehoek" was sold, and in 1911 the farm "Naauwpoort", both to a company who wanted to establish a village in the mountains.
These two farms were then divided into separate stands and sold for the then majestic sum of fifty pounds each. To finalise the negotiations a commission was appointed in 1912 and a decision was made to name the village Clarens in honour of President Kruger's influence in the area.
President Paul Kruger led a commando of burghers against the Basotho leader Moshoeshoe and defeated the Basotho at the Battle of Naauwpoortsnek in 1866, after 5 burghers were murdered by them in the Eastern Free State on 29 September 1865. A monument in honour of these 5 burghers was originally erected on the farm Ararat just outside Clarens, but was later moved to Clarens and re-sited on the town square.
This has proven to be an apt name indeed, as the splendour of the surrounding mountains does the original Swiss village more than just credit.