Roma

Roma sits in a valley ringed by sandstone cliffs southeast of Maseru, founded as a Catholic mission in 1862 on land granted by Moshoeshoe I, and it grew into the country's university town: the National University of Lesotho developed from the college established there, and the cathedral, seminary and mission buildings stand among the campus. Rock art and dinosaur footprints occur on the cliffs around the valley.

History

Roman Catholic missionaries founded Roma in 1862 in the valley called Tloutle, and the institution they began became the National University of Lesotho. A steep local mountain, Makhetha, is still called Peace Corps Mountain, after the volunteers who trained here and climbed it (Wikipedia, Roma, Lesotho).

Highlights

• The mission buildings - the cathedral and seminary from the 1862 foundation.
• The university - the national institution that grew from the mission college.
• The sandstone cliffs - the walls ringing the valley the town sits in.
• The rock art and footprints - the San paintings and dinosaur tracks on the surrounding rock.

When to go

September to April is the milder season. The university term shapes the town's rhythm. Winter is cold in the valley.

Before you go

The campus is a working university and not laid out for visitors. Rock art sites around the valley need a local guide. Facilities in the town are limited.

Nearby

Maseru is northwest, and Thaba Bosiu is north.

Key facts