R344
Grahamstown to Dodrecht

1. Adelaide

The small town of Adelaide lies on the R63 between Bedford and Fort Beaufort, nestled at the foot of the Winterberg Mountain which is the highest peak in the Amatola Range. The quaint Eastern Cape town is steeped in history and its streets are lined with beautiful historic homes, churches and monuments. The large towns square, more of a small island, has trees, gardens and public offices and is definitely worth exploring. Sightseeing in the town is a great way to begin a visit in Adelaide. The town's Heritage Museum houses exhibits which not only tell the story of the settlers but includes mid-19th Century English and Dutch furniture, glass, silverware and ceramics. Adelaide offers many activities in the area which includes game farms, rock art, game reserves, hiking and mountain biking…

2. Dordrecht

Dordrecht is situated a short distance north west of Queenstown in the heart of the Stormberg Region. It lies at the foot of the Western Drakensberg, or Stormberg, Mountain range on the popular Route 56 between Durban and Middelburg. Route 56 is a wonderful alternative to the busy N2, which makes Dordrecht a convenient and worthwhile stopover if you are interested in exploring the smaller towns of the Eastern Cape. The countryside is incredibly pretty, and it is not uncommon for snow to fall in the village during the coldest winter months, making the village quite beautiful when it does. The town offers some historical buildings to admire which includes a unique 1873 colonial country bed and breakfast establishment and a High School which is over 100 years old. Dordrecht also has a…

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3. Sterkstroom

Sterkstroom is situated in the Sterkstroom River Valley, alongside the Hex River and close to the towns of Dordrecht, Molteno and Queenstown. Not many can claim they have visited the little town of Sterkstroom, it is not on a main road to anywhere and so is often overlooked. However, if you look at its location a little closer, it doesn’t lie far from the Gariep Dam and the surrounding area offers plenty of opportunities to fish, birdwatch and hike – the Sterkstroom Hike is about 10 km and can easily be walked in a day. Other interesting landmarks, other than the impressive Dutch Reformed Church and a few historic town buildings dating from the beginning of the twentieth century, is the Dorper Wind Farm which is situated midway between Sterkstroom and Molteno. It is named after a…

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4. Tarkastad

Tarkastad, D. R. Church

Tarkastad is a bridge-town between the deep Eastern Cape and the Karoo. It lies set against the dramatic north side of the Winterberg Mountains between Craddock and Queenstown. It is an attractive little Karoo town, its’ streets lined with quaint historical homes and buildings and a War Memorial right in the centre of town. Elands River Poort, a mountain pass located just 24 km from Tarkastad, is where the Battle of Elands River (1901) was fought during the Second Boer War. The grave of Lt. Sheridan, cousin of Winston Churchill, who was killed in the Battle of Elands River can be found here is Tarkastad. The real beauty of Tarkastad lies on the surrounding hills and farms, on one of…