Great Drives Free State
Uncover the Simple Beauty of the Free State
Together with our Avis mini guide you can discover routes around the city that reveal the best scenic aspects of the Free State.Take the scenic route with your Avis hire car while travelling in the Golden Province.
Free State Routes
The Free State is often thought of as that boring and flat piece of land which is a necessary evil between two destinations such as Johannesburg and Durban. However, this province is also home to the colourful towns of Ficksburg and Clarens. It also boasts the sandstone cliffs of the Golden Gate National Park, and the glittering expanses of Sterkfontein Dam.
Journey with us on a scenic mini road trip from Bloemfontein Downtown to the lush Botanical Gardens on the outskirts of the city, and onward to the bushveld environment of Maselspoort.
After picking up your Avis hire car from our Avis Bloemfontein Downtown branch, travel along Nelson Mandela Drive past the manicured gardens of city hall. Old-style buildings blend in with modern day high-rise office blocks and residential apartments as you move along this tree-lined avenue toward Mimosa Mall. Here you will turn off on to Dan Pienaar Avenue and then Rayton Road past chocolate box pastoral scenes to the gates of the Free State National Botanical Gardens.
Botanical bounty on the outskirts of Bloemfontein
What follows is a scenic overload of sloping hills, speckled with flashes of crimson courtesy of the red hot pokers and coral trees which bloom so brilliantly during the winter. A stroll around this flowery kingdom reveals karee and olive trees, one of which is 200 years old. Manicured lawns are perfect for picnics, and hundreds of representatives of the floral kingdom will amaze your senses.
Meandering to Maselspoort
Leaving this wonderland of natural abundance, double back down Dan Pienaar Drive until you reach Wilcocks Road, and head out of town towards Bloemfontein Airport and Midway Roodewal.
Enjoy the comfort of your Avis hire car as you travel among the flat waving grasslands until you reach the turn-off for Verkeerdevlei and head right. Almost immediately the landscape changes to open thornveld. You will cross the Modder River and arrive at Maselspoort Dam and Recreation Centre which is just 23km from our Avis Downtown branch and 16km from Avis Bloemfontein Airport.
High points en route
City Hall
This beautiful building has an elegant Italian interior design and attractive sandstone exterior surrounded by sweeping manicured lawns and shady trees. It is a venue favoured by the locals for concerts and glamorous functions.
Mimosa Mall
Mimosa Mall is the Free State’s largest and most luxurious shopping destination, with a host of eateries, cinemas and entertainment options to add to your outing.
Free time on your hands? Take your pick from the following gems
Free State National Botanical Gardens
This 70-hectare paradise is home to over 100 different types of birds, several reptiles and 32 different kinds of mammals, a bird hide and a large lake.
Maselspoort Dam and Recreation Centre
Spend a few hours, minutes, or the whole day on the banks of the river - fishing, picnicking or just chilling out in this tranquil environment.