Boshof

Welcome to the home of South African folk dancing. This charming little farming town has played an important role in the history and shaping of the culture of the Free State and South Africa. Originally a Bushman settlement, the painted historical legacy of these nomadic people can be viewed on two farms in the district. But perhaps the greatest legacy Boshof has made is that of ‘volkspele’ – or folk dancing. A resident, Dr SH Pellisier, was responsible for the initiation and entrenchment of this popular pastime in the Afrikaner culture. The history of South African folk dancing is depicted in the local Chris van Niekerk Museum. During the Anglo Boer War the district saw heavy fighting. General Count Georges de Villebois- Mareuil, a French noble man who fought on the Boer side, was killed during one of these skirmishes.

GENERAL INFORMATION

How to get there

Bloemfontein (via Dealesville) 120 km (west), Kimberley 54 km

Altitude: 1120 m above sea level

Average Rainfall: 157 mm per annum, 3 mm per month

Banks: Fnb, Standard

Average Temperatures

Summer Day 34°c, Night 18°c; Winter Day 15°c; Night -2°c

HISTORICAL VIEW

Chris van Niekerk Museum

The history of South African folk dancing is depicted in this museum.

Folk Dancing Monument

To Dr SH Pellisier, ‘father’ of traditional Afrikaner folk dancing.

Gunpowder House

Dating from the Anglo Boer War

San Rock Art

View on the farm Rondefontein and Merriesfontein

Voortrekker Monument

Commemorating the Great Trek of 1838.

NATURE

Boshof Nature Reserve

ATTRACTIONS

Annual Events

Game Auction – May

Agricultural Show – August

ACTIVITIES

Hunting

There are a number of farms in the area offering hunting packages.