worldcup2010

Bloemfontein

Free State Stadium

Where's the game on?

Home to some of the country's most fanatical football fans, the Free State Stadium is likely to be the centre of attention during the tournament.

The stadium was given a plush new look for the 2009 Confederations Cup and hosted the memorable semi-final between Spain and USA.

The Free State Stadium now has a 45,000 capacity and has hosted numerous major football and rugby union matches, and Bloemfontein's natives are renowned for their passion for sport.

And the rest of the city?

The leafy suburbs

Bloemfontein is the judicial capital of South Africa. The name is an Afrikaans phrase: fountain of flowers, which could be a reference to the abundance of roses which occur naturally there and which have spawned the 'festival of roses', an annual festival held in October, but isn't.

The origin of the city's name is unclear, but popular legends include an ox named Bloem owned by one of the pioneer farmers that was taken by a lion near a fountain on his property. Sounds like the kind of story JRR Tolkien might tell - he was born there after all. He left when three years old and his only memory is of a 'hot country'.

The town is 1,400m above sea level on a huge featureless dry plain of land known as the Highveld, which ends at the Orange River running to the south of the city. The city is predominantly Afrikaans - it was a significant place in the Anglo-Boer war, not least for the conference held there in 1899 in an attempt to prevent the war's breakout.

The city itself is pretty in parts, grimly functional in others. There isn't much in the way of scenery or outdoor stuff to do bar karting and off-road driving. There isn't a great deal of culture either - Blomefontein's tourism website lists under 'Culture' one theatre and nothing else! There are a few museums dotted around, including the National Museum. But what the locals lack in culture they make up for by being the party kings - and queens - of the country. Brace yourself for some fine hospitality!

While you're there....

An aerial view of Boyden Observatory

Ahh, errm... did we mention the party? Car-racing? You're not keen? OK... well, one can also enjoy a day or a sleepover at the Bloemfontein Zoo. Straight up.

Boyden Observatory, a unique astronomy research and educational centre outside the city, offers public open evenings on certain nights during the year, arranged by the Friends of Boyden Observatory. Winter is an excellent time for star-gazing on the Highveld. Groups can also visit the observatory for exclusive evenings on appointment.

Atop Naval Hill is the Franklin Game Reserve. It was named after John Franklin, South African Senator, attorney and Mayor of Bloemfontein in the 1930s. There are several other game reserves around as well.

There are a number of museums, including the Anglo-Boer war museum and the National Museum.

A cold one and some sustenance?

Karoo lamb chops: Mmmmh!

We did mention a party didn't we? The trick with Bloem, as with Johannesburg, is to find the word on the street. Much of the social life revolves around the Waterfront Mall, where the Jazz Café is a great place for music and food.

The Fishpaste restaurant and bar in Westdene has some excellent and varied food in an interesting atmosphere.

Otherwise, just keep an eye out for the words 'steak' and 'house' in close proximity to each other on signboards. Bloemfontein is slap, bang in the middle of livestock farming country, with the local beef and especially the Karoo (that's the desert to the south) lamb chops just magnificent.

Also, keep ears out for live music. The locals love a good dance, and we're not necessarily talking fresh funky moves in a nightclub either. Langarm dancing may seem a little backward initially, but let yourself go with the flow and you'll have a great night out!

You'd have to get there first, mind

Bloemfontein train station

Bloemfontein lies on the N1 that links Cape Town with Johannesburg and Pretoria, and the N5 takes you across towards Durban. A drive to Cape Town takes you through a spectacular bare landscape, but also takes a good ten hours. Travelling to Durban takes you to and around the edge of the Drakensberg mountains, and also takes ten hours.

Bloemfontein is also served by South Africa's rail network. The Shosholoza Meyl long-distance passenger service connects there from both PE and Cape Town.

Bloemfontein has a small airport with flights to Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town - but they're expensive, as none of the low-cost airlines fly there.