Welcome to Middelburg Karoo

The St Barnabas Church, a historical building is still in use for weekly sermons. It is build with stone, and the original bell can still be viewed in the garden.

Imagine being surrounded by majestic blue mountains, and crisp, fresh air. Imagine a night sky where the stars seem so close you can touch them. Now imagine a place that offers all this and so much more.

All rooms en-suite bathrooms and secure parking,bed and breakfast or self-catering.

Karoo Ridge Cottage is set on Karoo Ridge Conservancy (55km from Middelburg), a 3 000ha working farm, where we run indigenous Nguni and Watusi cattle alongside game.

The pumping station was erected in about 1904 by the British troops that were stationed at Grootfontein. Its site is the marshland from which the actual “Groote Fontein” springs.

In Market Street, this building dates back to the early days of the century. This is one of the few buildings left from the old Middelburg, which was declared a national monument. - Market Street -

In the Oasis of the Karoo Heartland is this 3 Star country executive lodge situated in Middelburg. It is the perfect stopover midway between Johannesburg and the Garden Route. All the rooms have en-suite bathrooms, DStv and tea and coffee facilities.

Desert Inn Guest House is an elegant and tranquil guest house located in the centre of town in Middelburg. At Desert Inn Guest House, our aim is to make guests feel at home. Middelburg lies in the middle of Karoo, surrounded by mountains, and is halfway between Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein as well as Johannesburg and Cape Town, making it an ideal stopover location.

The PW Vorster museum at the Grootfontein Agricultural Institute is housed in the original farm dwelling, erected in 1827. Collection consists of Anglo Boer War artifacts and ‘n Post War collection as well as a large collection of farm implements. The Van de Walt family collections are also housed here. On Grootfontein are several post war and farm cemeteries.

The market square was encircled by Murray-, Market-, Van Reenen- and Loop Streets. On the Outspan, originated the Dutch Reformed Church, Gereformeerde Kerk, Methodist Church and the Town Hall. Today, part of it is known as the Mayor’s Garden. The Old Waterpump, Burger Monument, Steam Roller and Wall of Remembrance can all be found in the Mayor’s Garden.

“Piet van der Merwe is ‘n bekende in perdekringe en ‘n bekende teler van gewone Arabierperde, asook Anglo Arabiere. Die perde word op die veld groot, en nadat hulle gevang word, spesifiek geleer as uithourit-perde. Hierdie Arabiere word uitgevoer na die Midde-Ooste, na Dubai, Qatar en Bahrain. Arabiere is tussen 6 en 7 jaar oud wanneer hulle uitgevoer word. Die veld in hierdie gebied is baie geskik vir perde, aangesien dit reik is aan minerale wat die bene hard en sterk maak. Piet het al op die plaas ‘n wêreld kampioen geteël, wat in 2005 die wêreldkampioenskap uithourit in Bahrain gewen het, die enigste teler in Suid-Afrika wat dit nog kon bereik. Jaarliks bied Piet ook twee groot uithouritte op sy plaas aan, waar tot 103 perde al aan een uithourit deelgeneem het.

Since 1993 Transkaroo Adventures have offered tourists and youth groups a unique opportunity to experience the most breathtaking and surprising scenes in the Upper Karoo.