Barberton Snapshot
One of Barberton’s many claims to fame is its geology. Scientists believe that the mountains around the town are the oldest on the planet, dating back some three and a half billion years and accounting for some of the earth's earliest life - a bacterial micro fossil. Fast forwarding a couple of billion years, Barberton found itself in the colonial crosshairs, with the discovery of gold in nearby Concession Creek in the late 1800’s.
Its pretty valley setting among the Makhonjwa Mountains has made Barberton a popular weekend destination and overnight stop en route to Kruger Park or Swaziland. While many of the town’s attractions centre around its colourful gold mining and geological history, Barberton has a number of good restaurants, coffee shops, galleries and book shops to pass the hours, whle the pretty surrounding landscape is dotted with a number of MTB, hiking and running options.
Taken as a whole, a combination of picturesque setting, rich history, local character and enough to keep busy, Barberton has it all for a chilled weekend.
Things To Do
- Take on the Heritage Walk, a self-guided trail setting off from tourism office and taking in a number of historical sites along the way.
- Visit the Barberton Museum, a well-executed display depicting the town’s history and colourful gold mining past.
- The Barberton Makhonjwa Geotrail is a 40km self-drive route through ancient rock formations dating back some three billion years, and described as “the history of the planet cast in stone.”
- Go mountain biking on the Queen Rose MTB Trails, offering a range of distance and difficulty.
Where You'll Also Find Us
Arniston (Waenhuiskrans) • Barrydale • Beaufort West • Betty's Bay • Bonnievale • Bot River • Bredasdorp • Caledon • Calitzdorp • Cape Agulhas and Struisbaai • Cape Town area • Ceres • Citrusdal • Clanwilliam & Cederberg • Darling • De Rust • Franschhoek • Gansbaai • George • Grabouw & Elgin Valley • Greyton • Heidelberg • Hermanus • Knysna • Ladismith • Laingsburg • Lamberts Bay • Langebaan • Malgas • Matjiesfontein • McGregor • Montagu • Mossel Bay • Napier • Oudtshoorn • Paarl • Paternoster • Plettenberg Bay • Porterville • Prince Albert • Pringle Bay • Pringle Bay, Betty's Bay and Kleinmond • Riebeek West and Riebeek-Kasteel • Riversdale • Riviersonderend • Robertson • St Helena Bay • Stanford • Stilbaai • Strand, Gordon's Bay and Somerset West • Swellendam • Tulbagh • Uniondale • Velddrif • Vermaaklikheid • Wellington • Wilderness • Witsand • Worcester & Hex Valley • Yzerfontein • Baviaanskloof • Cape St Francis • Cape St Francis & St Francis Bay • East London • Graaff-Reinet • Hogsback • Jeffreys Bay • Makhanda (Grahamstown) • Middelburg • Nieu-Bethesda • Rhodes • Sutherland