Panorama Route

Last updated August 29, 2024

The Panorama Route is a scenic road in South Africa connecting several cultural and natural points of interest. The route, steeped in the history of South Africa, is in Mpumalanga province, centred around the Blyde River Canyon, the world's third largest canyon. It features numerous waterfalls, one of the largest afforested areas in South Africa,^[1] and several natural landmarks. The route starts at the foot of the Long Tom Pass just outside Lydenburg, following the natural descent from the Great Escarpment to the Lowveld, and ending at the border of the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces near the Echo Caves.

History

This route is deeply entrenched in the history of South Africa. From 1871, parts of the route were used as a transport road between Lydenburg and Delagoa Bay.^[2] It is also on this route that General Louis Botha fled from the English during the Anglo Boer War,^[3] and houses one of the most famous Victorian-age canons in the world, The Long Tom.

Many towns on the route, such as Pilgrim's Rest, were established during the Transvaal gold rush in the late 1800s. Thousands of fortune seekers crossed the treacherous mountains and rugged terrain in search of gold. One of these was a former storekeeper from Pilgrim's Rest, Percy Fitzpatrick. He wrote the popular book Jock of the Bushveld , recounting some of the adventures he shared with his faithful bull terrier Jock, whilst traversing this famous route.^[4]

Route

From	To	Road codes	Distance
Lydenburg	Sabie	R37	58 kilometres (36 mi)
Sabie	Graskop	R532	30 kilometres (19 mi)
Graskop	Pilgrim's Rest	R532/R533	16 kilometres (9.9 mi)
Pilgrim's Rest	Kiepersol	R533/R535	68 kilometres (42 mi)
Kiepersol	Hazyview	R533/R535	16 kilometres (9.9 mi)
Hazyview	Ohrigstad	R532/R36	198 kilometres (123 mi)

Towns

Lydenburg

This historic town was founded in 1850 by Voortrekker leader Andries Potgieter. For a brief period it served as the capital of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek.

Long before this, a mysterious civilization occupied the region. The Lydenburg Heads are hollow terracotta sculptures dating back to 500AD. These sculptures are believed to have been used in religious ceremonies by these people. The Lydenburg Museum showcases some of these finds.^[5]

Alluvial gold was discovered in 1873, and the town experienced a brief gold rush. The town also featured prominently on the route from the Transvaal Republic to Delagoa Bay. Today Lydenburg is known for farming, trout fishing and mining.^[5] The Panorama Route starts just outside Lydenburg at the foot of the Long Tom Pass.

Sabie

Sabie is known as a forestry and tourist town. The town was inhabited by the Sesotho in the early 1800s. Europeans settled in Sabie from 1873, when gold was discovered in the area. Since it is a high-altitude town, it was used as a base for early big game hunters, as it was malaria free. The river (also known as the Sabie river) often flooded and was infested with crocodiles; hence the local people called it uluSaba – the river of fear.^[6]

The natural forests were cleared to supply wood for the mining industry. Through the foresight of Joseph Brook Shires, commercial trees were planted in 1876, leading to Sabie being surrounded by one of the largest man-made forests in the world today.^[7]

Graskop

Graskop's history can be traced back to 1837 when the Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius and his followers were looking for greener pastures. He wrote in his memoirs of leaving women behind in Graskop (translated as "grassy hill") whilst looking for an ox wagon route to Delagoa Bay.^[8]

Today Graskop mainly serves as a tourist town in close proximity to many natural landmarks such as God's Window and Bourke's Luck Potholes.

Pilgrim's Rest

Pilgrim's Rest is approximately 35 km north of Sabie. The whole town has been classified as a national monument.^[9] It is a restored gold-mining town with several curio shops and Victorian buildings. Its history can be traced back to 1873 when Alex Patterson discovered alluvial gold. It soon became known as a fortune seeker's town, with close to 1500 "diggers" joining Patterson within a year.^[10] Later a mine, Transvaal Gold Mining Estates, was established as the first listed gold mining company in South Africa. National Gold Panning Championships are held annually in the village and visitors can also book a panning experience.

Hazyview

Hazyview is a town situated close to the Kruger National Park. The town is frequented by visitors due to the fact that it is the gateway to the Phabeni Gate of the Kruger National Park. Hazyview is renowned for its various animal sanctuaries, including a world-famous elephant sanctuary.^[10]

Legend has it that a French-Canadian, only known as Perry, settled in the area whilst fleeing from an alleged murder charge. He started a trading store, but after his death the farm was sold, and one of the first private game reserves in South Africa was proclaimed on the land.^[11]

The economy of this town is driven by tourism, agriculture (specifically banana farming), and retail.

Ohrigstad

Ohrigstad is a small town on the border of Mpumalanga and the Limpopo province. The town was established by Voortrekkers in 1845, and is named after Voortrekker leader Andries Hendrik Potgieter, and G. G. Ohrig, an Amsterdam trader who wanted to cultivate trade between the Netherlands and the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek.^[12]

The town is now home to some game farms and commercial agriculture. The famous Echo Caves are situated about 28 km north of the town. These caves were discovered in 1923 when the owner of the farm Klipfonteinhoek observed his cattle disappear into the cave, drawn to the fresh, cold water.^[13]

Kiepersol

Kiepersol is a small village close to Hazyview. It is predominantly an agricultural community with large banana plantations, as well as other fruit-farming activities

Points of interest

Waterfalls

There are several waterfalls on the route. Most of these waterfalls fall under the jurisdiction of the provincial parks boards. They are open to the public, and many are associated with hiking trails.

Name of falls	River	Nearest town	Height of falls
Berlin Falls	Lisbon River	Graskop	80 metres (260 ft)
Bridal Veil Falls	Sabie River	Sabie	146 metres (479 ft)
Lisbon Falls	Lisbon River	Graskop	92 metres (302 ft)
Lone Creek Falls	Sabie River	Sabie	68 metres (223 ft)
Mac-Mac Falls	Mac-Mac River	Graskop	65 metres (213 ft)
Sabie Falls	Sabie River	Sabie	35 metres (115 ft)

Mountain passes

The Panorama Route is home to several scenic mountain passes.^[14]

Name of mountain pass	Connecting towns	Length	Elevation of summit
Bergvliet Pass	Sabie-Hazyview	9 kilometres (5.6 mi)	997 metres (3,271 ft)
Blyderiver Poort Pass	Graskop-Ohrigstad	23 kilometres (14 mi)	1,379 metres (4,524 ft)
Bonnet Pass	Graskop-Pilgrim's Rest	5 kilometres (3.1 mi)	1,667 metres (5,469 ft)
Kiepersol Pass	Sabie-Kiepersol	5 kilometres (3.1 mi)	912 metres (2,992 ft)
Koffiehoogte	Lydenburg-Sabie	6 kilometres (3.7 mi)	1,672 metres (5,486 ft)
Long Tom Pass	Lydenburg-Sabie	22 kilometres (14 mi)	2,138 metres (7,014 ft)
Masjiennek	Lydenburg-Sabie	11 kilometres (6.8 mi)	2,090 metres (6,860 ft)
Robber's Pass	Pilgrim's Rest-Ohrigstad	26 kilometres (16 mi)	1,789 metres (5,869 ft)
Sudwala Pass	Lydenburg-Sudwala Caves	9 kilometres (5.6 mi)	1,223 metres (4,012 ft)

Historical and cultural sites

Due to the rich history of the area, the Panorama Route is home to several important cultural and historical sites. These include the following:

Shangana Cultural Village – a traditional village that celebrates the Shangana people
Lydenburg Museum – This museum showcases exhibits of early human settlers in the area, the most famous of which is the Lydenburg Heads. It also gives visitors a view of the ethnographic history of the Pedi people.^[15]
Joubert Bridge – one of the oldest bridges in the area. It was built to cross the Blyde River and provide a passage between Pilgrim's Rest and Lydenburg. Italian engineer, Giovan B Gilletti was commissioned and the bridge was officially opened in 1897 by Jacobus Stephanus Joubert, the mining commissioner of Pilgrim's Rest. The bridge was named after him, and can still be used today.^[16]

Landmarks

The Mpumalanga area is rich in natural phenomena, and the majority of these can be found on the Panorama Route.

God's Window – This is a vantage point on the Drakensberg escarpment. The cliffs drop 700m from the vantage point. Frequented by tourists, on a clear day one can see up until the Mozambican border.^[17]
Bourke's Luck Potholes – Bourke's Luck Potholes are a series of natural geological formations that were formed by centuries of water flowing through the landscape. The potholes occur where the Treur River joins the Blyde River at the start of the Blyde River Canyon. In a continuous manner, the force of the water in these two rivers, combined with the particles of sand and rock that the rivers transport wears cylindrical potholes into the sandstone bedrock.^[17]
Three Rondavels – This phenomenon is named after small, grass huts called rondavels due to its remarkable resemblance. The shapes are due to erosion of softer limestone, leaving harder quartzite behind. The Bapedi knew these formations as the Chief and his three wives. The flat-topped peak was named Mapjaneng ('the chief') after a legendary Bapedi chief, Maripi Mashile, who defeated invading Swazis in a great battle near here. The three peaks are named after his three wives – Magabolie, Mogoladikwe, and Maseroto.^[17]
Echo Caves – The name Echo was given to the cave, as a certain stalactite formation produces a distinctive echoing sound when tapped on. This echo can still be heard on the outside of the cave today.^[13]
Blyde River Canyon – It is part of the 29 000ha Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is carved out of nearly 2,5 km of red sandstone. Also known as the Motlatse Canyon, it is the third largest canyon on Earth and is situated below the confluence of the Blyde ('joy') and Treur ('sorrow') rivers.^[17] The 29 000ha Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is carved out of nearly 2,5 km of red sandstone and is one of South Africa's most remarkable geological features. Also known as the Motlatse Canyon, it is the third largest canyon on Earth and is situated below the confluence of the Blyde ('joy') and Treur ('sorrow') rivers.^[17]
The Pinnacle – A large quartzite column rising from a deep gorge.
Sudwala Caves – Sudwala Caves are known as the oldest caves in the world. Although the caves were formed over a period of some 3 000-million years, they have only been accessible to the public since the 1960s.^[17] The caves were used as shelter by prehistoric man in the form of Homo habilis , a predecessor of Homo erectus , approximately 1,8 million years ago. The caves play an important role in the history of the Swazi people, being used as a fortress by Somquba during a power struggle for the Swazi throne.^[18]

The view of the Lowveld from God's Window Mpumalanga.jpg — The view of the Lowveld from God's Window

Related Research Articles

Mpumalanga is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Nguni languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. It shares borders with the South African provinces of Limpopo to the north, Gauteng to the west, the Free State to the southwest, and KwaZulu-Natal to the south. The capital is Mbombela.

Lydenburg, also known as Mashishing, is a town in Thaba Chweu Local Municipality, on the Mpumalanga highveld, South Africa. It is situated on the Sterkspruit/Dorps River tributary of the Lepelle River at the summit of the Long Tom Pass. It has a long, rich history, ranging from AD 500 to the present. The name is derived from the Dutch Lijdenburg, or "Town of Suffering", and is named for the experiences of the white settlers. In Northern Sotho, Mashishing means "long green grass." Lydenburg has become the centre of the South African fly-fishing industry and is an agricultural, tourism and mining hub.

Graskop is a small town in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. It was set up in the 1880s as a gold mining camp but it now serves as a tourist destination and the timber industry. “God’s Window”, a scenic view from the escarpment of the Lowveld below, is located outside the town. Graskop is 14 km south-east of Pilgrim's Rest and 28 km north of Sabie. It was laid out between 1880 and 1890 on a farm belonging to Abel Erasmus, Native Commissioner of the Transvaal Republic. The name is Afrikaans for grassy hillock. Originally it was a mining camp. It is the best place to view the "Edge of the Lowveld", with a sudden drop of 700 metres.

Sabie is a forestry town situated on the banks of the Sabie River in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The name Sabie is derived from the siSwati word "Ulusaba" which means "fearful river" because the river was once teeming with dangerous Nile crocodile. The word Ulusaba was modernized by the Afrikaner settlers who changed it from Ulusaba (siSwati) into the Afrikaans "Sabie".

Middelburg is a large farming and industrial town in the South African province of Mpumalanga.

Hazyview is a sub-tropical farming town in Mpumalanga, South Africa, renowned for its large banana and macadamia nut industries, contributing about 20% of South Africa's bananas and 30% of macadamia output. Bordering the Kruger National Park, the town's name is derived from the shimmering haze that occurs during the heat of summer. Most of the province of Mpumalanga's private game reserves are found just east of Hazyview.

The R37 is a provincial route in South Africa that connects Polokwane with Mbombela via Burgersfort and Lydenburg (Mashishing).

The Blyde River Canyon is a 26 km long Canyon located in Mpumalanga, South Africa. It is one of the larger canyons on Earth but much smaller than those of Asia, the Grand Canyon and the Fish River Canyon. Unlike the Grand and Fish River Canyon, the Blyde River Canyon is a "green canyon" which is dominated by subtropical vegetation. The canyon forms part of the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve.

The Treur River barb or simply Treur barb is a species of cyprinid fish. It is endemic to northern Mpumalanga, South Africa.

The Berlin Falls is a waterfall in Mpumalanga, South Africa. They are located close to God's Window and the highest waterfall in South Africa's Mpumalanga province, Lisbon Falls. They are less than a tenth of the height of South Africa's tallest waterfall, the Tugela Falls, and are better known for their beauty.

Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is situated in the Drakensberg escarpment region of eastern Mpumalanga, South Africa. The reserve protects the Blyde River Canyon, including sections of the Ohrigstad and Blyde Rivers and the geological formations around Bourke's Luck Potholes, where the Treur River tumbles into the Blyde below. Southwards of the canyon, the reserve follows the escarpment, to include the Devil's and God's Window, the latter a popular viewpoint to the lowveld at the reserve's southern extremity.

Kowyn Pass is situated in Mpumalanga province, on the R533 road between Graskop and Bosbokrand, South Africa. The pass was completed on 3 October 1959. It descends from an altitude of 1,448 metres above sea level near Graskop, to 500 metres at Bosbokrand, which implies an average slope of 1:14.

The Motlatse River, Blyde River, or Umdhlazi River is a river in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces of South Africa. It has a northwards course in steep-sided valleys and ravines of the Mpumalanga Drakensberg, before it enters the lowveld region of the Limpopo province. It has its ultimate origins at around 2,000 m altitude in the Hartebeesvlakte conservation area, to the north of Long Tom Pass. It runs through the Blyde River Canyon.

The Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region is a biosphere reserve situated in the north eastern region of South Africa, straddling Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces. In 2001, under the supervision of the then Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region was officially ratified by UNESCO as part of the Man and the Biosphere (MaB) Programme. UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme provides a framework for exploring local solutions to challenges by mainstreaming biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, integrating economic, social and environmental aspects and recognising their vital linkages within specific learning landscapes adjacent to Protected Areas.

Bushbuckridge Municipality is a local municipality within the Ehlanzeni District Municipality, in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Commercial farming, which consists of pine and bluegum plantations, tobacco, cotton, sub-tropical fruits and vegetables, is practised in the municipality's countryside. The municipality includes the southern part of Kruger National Park. Bushbuckridge is the largest local municipality in Mpumalanga in terms of land size.

The Treur River is a small river in the Drakensberg escarpment region of eastern Mpumalanga province, South Africa. The R532 motor route intersects it twice. Its ultimate origin is inside the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, though most of its course is to the west of this protected area. It is a tributary of the Blyde River, and has no major tributaries of its own. There are two sharp drops in its course, at Poe Falls 24°45′S30°52′E and Bourke's Luck Potholes respectively.

The R532 is a Regional Route in South Africa that connects the Blyde River Canyon with Sabie via Graskop.

The R536 is a Regional Route in South Africa.

The Lisbon Falls are falls in the Lisbon Creek, a right bank tributary of the Blyde River. They are situated a short distance north of Graskop beside the R532 road, and are the highest waterfalls in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The waterfalls are 94 metres (308 ft) high and were named for the Lisbon Creek and the Farm Lisbon, on which the falls are located.

The Pulana, or Mapulana, are a low-veld ethnic group found in Bushbuckridge near Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces. Their language is called Sepulana and is considered a dialect of the Northern Sotho language group. although it is a northern sotho dialect it also hugely influenced by Xitsonga, Swati, Afrikaans, English, and Setswana

References

↑ "Forestry". Sabie: source of surprises. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
↑ Hilton-Barber, Bridget (2001). Weekends with Legends. The Spearhead Press.
↑ Hall et all, Darrel (1999). The Hall Handbook of the Anglo Boer War. University of Natal Press.
↑ Meredith, Martin (2008). Diamonds, Gold, and War: The British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa. PublicAffair. ISBN 9781586486778.
1 2 "Mpumalange Happenings Lydenburg" . Retrieved 23 July 2016.
↑ "Sabie Town Page". Sabie History 1.
↑ "Sabie Town".
↑ "Graskop Town Info". Graskop Town Info.
↑ "National Monuments". SA Places. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
1 2 McCrea, Barbara (2012). Rough guide to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (7 ed.). London: Penguin. ISBN 9781405386500.
↑ Bornman, Hans (2006). Pioneers of the Lowveld (1 ed.). ISBN 0958478236.
↑ "Ohrigstad Name". South African History Online. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
1 2 "Echo Caves History". Echo Caves Info. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
↑ "Mountain Passes – Panorama Route". Mountain Passes of South Africa. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
↑ "Lydenburg Museum". Museums Online South Africa. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
↑ Paton, Frieda. "Historical Icon in Pilgrims Rest". gpsnews. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Blyde Canyon Landmarks". southafrica.net. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
↑ "History of the Sudwala Caves". Sudwalacaves.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.

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[1] "Forestry". Sabie: source of surprises. Retrieved 7 March 2020.

[Weekends-2] Hilton-Barber, Bridget (2001). Weekends with Legends. The Spearhead Press.

[Hall_Handbook-3] Hall et all, Darrel (1999). The Hall Handbook of the Anglo Boer War. University of Natal Press.

[Diamonds-4] Meredith, Martin (2008). Diamonds, Gold, and War: The British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa. PublicAffair. ISBN 9781586486778.

[Lydenburg_History-5] 1 2 "Mpumalange Happenings Lydenburg" . Retrieved 23 July 2016.

[Sabie_History-6] "Sabie Town Page". Sabie History 1.

[Sabie_history-7] "Sabie Town".

[8] "Graskop Town Info". Graskop Town Info.

[Pilgrims_Rest_National_Monument-9] "National Monuments". SA Places. Retrieved 7 August 2016.

[Mpnumalange_Guide-10] 1 2 McCrea, Barbara (2012). Rough guide to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (7 ed.). London: Penguin. ISBN 9781405386500.

[Hazyview_History-11] Bornman, Hans (2006). Pioneers of the Lowveld (1 ed.). ISBN 0958478236.

[Ohrigstad_Name-12] "Ohrigstad Name". South African History Online. Retrieved 7 August 2016.

[Echo_Caves-13] 1 2 "Echo Caves History". Echo Caves Info. Retrieved 7 August 2016.

[Mountain_Passes-14] "Mountain Passes – Panorama Route". Mountain Passes of South Africa. Retrieved 7 August 2016.

[Lydenburg_Museum-15] "Lydenburg Museum". Museums Online South Africa. Retrieved 7 August 2016.

[Joubert_Bridge-16] Paton, Frieda. "Historical Icon in Pilgrims Rest". gpsnews. Retrieved 9 August 2016.

[Blyde_Canyon_Landmarks-17] 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Blyde Canyon Landmarks". southafrica.net. Retrieved 9 August 2016.

[Sudwala_Caves-18] "History of the Sudwala Caves". Sudwalacaves.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.

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