Piggs Peak

Piggs Peak took its name from William Pigg, a prospector who found gold in the hills here in 1884, and the town grew around the mine that followed. The mine is long closed and the surrounding country is now largely pine and eucalyptus plantation, but the town remains the centre of the northern highlands, with a market and the road junction for the reserves and the border. It sits high enough to be noticeably cooler than the lowveld.

What you actually see

• The highland setting - a town high enough to be cool when the lowveld is hot.
• The market - the trading centre for the northern district.
• The plantation country - pine and eucalyptus across the surrounding hills.
• The gold history - the 1884 find that the town grew from.

When to go

Year round. Winter mornings at this altitude are cold. Summer brings mist and heavy afternoon rain.

Honest expectations

There is little in the town itself for a visitor and it works as a base rather than a destination. The plantations have replaced most of the natural vegetation. Mist closes in often in summer.

Nearby

Phophonyane is north, and Bulembu is northwest.