The town lies in typical Karoo veld and is surrounded by koppies (little hills). The most famous is Coleskop, which can be seen from a distance of over 40km. Early travellers called it "Towerberg" ("Magic Mountain"). The curious thing about this koppie is that as you travel towards it, it never seems to get nearer.
Colesberg is a travellers oasis on the main Cape Town-Johannesburg route, the N1, offering many attractive accommodation establishments and entertaining, educational distractions. In a sheep-farming area spread over half-a-million hectares, greater Colesberg breeds many of the countrys top merinos. It is also renowned for producing high-quality racehorses and many stud farms, including one owned by legendary golfer, Gary Player, are nearby.
Colesberg has several national monuments, one of which is the Colesberg-Kemper Museum. It houses fascinating relics of the town's rich tapestry of history. Among its exhibits is the Kemper Collection dating to the 1880's, Anglo-Boer War photographs and artefacts, a 19th century toy collection, a Karoo Nomad photographic exhibition, and it allows you to relive Erasmus Jacobs discovery of "Eureka" at Hopetown, the first recorded diamond find in South Africa.
Many of Colesbergs original buildings, in pristine condition, are fine examples of early Karoo architecture.
The Information Office will happily organise a walking tour lasting about three hours. Learn of the approximately 40 families comprising the Karoo Nomads, get a grasp of local history, revisit the past in the old cemetery, and visit the towns churches and many of its original reed-ceilinged, yellowwood beamed homes where you will enjoy the uniquely Karoo architecture and warm hospitality.
Other attractions include:
Anglican Church, beautifully decorated , designed by Sophia Gray (wife of Bishop Gray), built in 1854.
Doornkloof Nature Reserve - on the south-eastern banks of the Vanderkloof Dam, the
9 388ha reserve features kudu, eland, brown hyaena, mountain reedbuck, steenbok, grey duiker, bat-eared fox, aardvark and aardwolf.
Anglo-Boer War tour - the Plateau Camp, Suffolk Hill, Grenadier Guard Rock, Memorial Hill and the military cemetery where more than 400 men from 20 regiments are buried.
Dutch Reformed Church - built in 1863, its white walls dominate Church Str.
Horsemill - one of the countrys last working horsemills.
At the Gariep dam (about 40km) you can do game viewing in the Gariep Dam Nature Reserve, enjoy an extensive range of watersport facilities or tour the Gariep dam wall.
