Clarens

Clarens was laid out in 1912 and named after the Swiss village where Paul Kruger died in exile in 1904. It sits in a bowl of sandstone cliffs at about 1,900 metres with the Maluti mountains of Lesotho behind, and the light and the rock have made it an artists' village - the square is lined with galleries, and a substantial number of working artists live in the district. Around that has grown a weekend economy from Johannesburg: breweries, restaurants, guesthouses and outdoor operators offering rafting on the Ash River, horse riding and hiking. Golden Gate Highlands National Park is fifteen minutes away, and the village is the usual base for it. Winters are cold with occasional snow on the surrounding peaks, autumn turns the poplars gold, and the sandstone glows in late light, which is the reason painters came in the first place.

History

Two farms, Leliehoek, bought from Hermanus Steyn in 1910, and Naauwpoort, sold by Piet de Villiers in 1911, were divided into stands sold for fifty pounds each, and in 1912 the new village was named Clarens after the Swiss town where Paul Kruger spent his last days (Wikipedia, Clarens, South Africa).

What to look for

• The gallery square - the village centre lined with working galleries.
• The sandstone bowl - cliffs and the Maluti mountains around a village at 1,900 metres.
• The Kruger name - a village named for the Swiss town where he died in exile.
• The weekend economy - breweries, restaurants and outdoor operators from Johannesburg traffic.

When to go

March to May for autumn colour, September to November for spring. Two days.

Good to know

Weekends and holidays are crowded and accommodation prices rise sharply. Winter nights are freezing and snow closes some roads. Gallery quality varies from serious to souvenir. The village is small and quiet midweek.

Nearby

Golden Gate Highlands National Park is fifteen minutes east; Lesotho is over the border.

Key facts