The Hardeveld Route

The Hardeveld Route is an emerging tourism destination, aiming at bringing the benefits of tourism to the rural villages in the area. We are a growing destination, but bent on giving the visitor the best possible experience and whatever we advertise can be accessed by making arrangements beforehand.

Each village in the Hardeveld has something unique to offer the visitor.

Park your car anywhere at Nuwerus and take a stroll through the village, admiring the beautiful old buildings, amongst other the last complete corrugated iron house in the country. At Bitterfontein the railroad line ends and this is where the only green granite in the world is shipped from. Bitterfontein’s source of water is a desalination plant, where water from boreholes is desalinated.

To the east you will find Kliprand, a tiny village huddled in the vast plains of the Bushmanland, surrounded by stony hills studded with quiver trees. Visit the warm and bustling soup kitchen for a cup of hot soup and peep in at the Senior Citizen’s Club next door where they handpaint textiles.

Taking the winding road out of Bitterfontein towards the west, you will find the Catholic Mission Station of Rietpoort, framed between huge granite boulders. Northwest of Rietpoort lies the two rural settlements of Molsvlei and Stofkraal, both originally stockposts.

Here the traditional way of life lives on with bread still being baked in outside clay ovens. Goat- and sheep farming is an integral part of these peoples lives and encountering a donkey cart with passengers along the way is a regular event.

In the Cederberg, tucked away in a ravine overlooked by giant sandstone cliffs is Algeria, sister to the villages in the Hardeveld. Algeria is worth a visit for the beautiful fynbos that surrounds it and the local ware that is sold at the Padstal.

The Knersvlakte
Make arrangements at the local tourism centre for short walks in the Knersvlakte. Here you will find the unique miniature succulents that has given this area the status of a global priority area for conservation.

During the spring the area explodes into a palette of colour that beggars description. There are many flower routes to be driven where one can experience the full scope and variety of spring in Namaqualand.

Traditional experiences
The Bitterfontein Traditional Dance Group nimbly perform the old dances of the area. The dances are performed by well-trained learners from the local school, dressed in the traditional costume.

Music on handmade tin violins are performed by the likes of Oom Hans Gouws from Kliprand and he gladly plays for those who would like to hear the haunting strains of the instrument.

The delicious traditional food of the area is readily available. The homemade bread baked in clay ovens and the flavoursome meat dishes and side dishes of the area should not be missed when you pay a visit to the area.

Storytelling is still a lively tradition in the Hardeveld and storytelling by the local masters of this art can be arranged.

Many people in the Hardeveld have an intimate knowledge of the veld and the uses of its many medicinal plants. These people will be happy to take you with on a walk and tell you about the uses and qualities of these plants. Alternatively a day walking with a herder behind his goats, sharing the restful activities of the day, can be arranged.

Handcraft
A variety of handicraft is practised in the Hardeveld, ranging from the making of the traditional bonnets for women to the more modern art of textile painting. Quality products like baking tins and riempies chairs are also handmade in the area.

Scenic drives
A characteristic of the area is the many secondary roads that take you through a variety of landscapes. Pack a picknick basket or arrange for one containing local traditional fare to be prepared for you, ask for a map at the tourism centre and spend a delightful day exploring the many facets of the Hardeveld. Take along your binoculars for viewing several species of raptors, amongst them martial and black eagle or some of the smaller animals that occur in the area, like bat-eared fox and suricate.

Photography
The arid summer months brings soaring temperatures, but also the most beautiful light during the mornings and afternoons, ideal for photography. The landscape offers a variety of photo opportunities, with different textures, ranging from grassy plains to massive granite boulders. The vegetation during this time of the year changes its pigment to deep reds and ochres as protection against the sun and shows another aspect of this rugged landscape.

Hardeveld Multi-purpose
Tourism Centre
Tel: 027 - 6427335
Fax: 027 - 6427334
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