Ladybrand in the Free State, historically a frontier town, is now a town on the forefront of rural living.

As with other towns along this route, it seems artists and craft entrepreneurs make it home. It too has an abundance of guesthouses, some award winning, from which to explore the area. The obvious reason to stay over in the sandstone mecca, is the border post into Lesotho which is only a 5 minute drive, but don’t make this the only reason for staying.

Ladybrand, founded in 1867, is surrounded by the beautiful hills of the eastern Free State and rests at the foot of the majestic Maluti Mountains of Lesotho. The town was named after Lady Catharina Brand, the mother of President Brand, then president of the Orange Free State Colony. Ladybrand, a frontier post was established specifically to defend the conquered territory from the “marauding” Basotho.

Today, it is a cosmopolitan town with a very European atmosphere largely due to the large number of foreigners living and visiting the town from Lesotho. The area is traversed by the Maluti Route, an awesomely scenic route on the R26 from Kwazulu Natal via the Eastern Free State, up to the Eastern Cape highlands and the Lesotho Kingdom.

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