Travel Guide Lydenburg

Situated between the city of Pretoria and the Kruger Park, once an important mining centre of the Transvaal, the small town of Lydenburg has an Afrikaans name with the rather violent meaning of "city of suffering". Today, it is a neat town of 33,000 people, with a warm summer and temperate winter climate at an altitude of 1,400 m. The region is mainly agricultural and is also a centre for trout breeding, which is abundant in the rivers. The town also produces ferrochrome for export. Do not miss the museum for the history of the very famous "Lydenburg heads" exhibited in 2002 in Paris as part of Ubuntu at the Museum of African and Indian Ocean Arts.From the Sudwala Caves, halfway to Nelspruit, there are two possibilities to reach Lydenburg: either continue on the track, crossing the beautiful landscapes of the forest and the Mokobulaan Pass (1,890 m), for about fifty kilometres that you will not regret, or reach Lydenburg via the splendid Schoemanskloof. In this case, return from the caves on the R539 and reach the N4 a few kilometres south. Turn right for 5 km, then right again on the R539 towards Bambi. The road climbs through a green and flowery valley amidst tobacco plantations and cornfields. We cross the Schoemanskloof (1,295 m) and Skaapwagters (1,280 m) passes. A total difference in altitude of 900 m allows you to pass from the Lowveld to the Highveld.