Waterval Boven is a small town situated on the edge of the Escarpment on the banks of the Elands River above the 75m Elands Falls on the railway line from Pretoria to Maputo in Mpumalanga. Hence the name which means "above the waterfall" in Dutch.
The Elands River Waterfall is visible from the mouth of the old Railway Tunnel.
It is the sister town of Waterval Onder which is at the base of the Escarpment below the waterfall. Both settlements were established because of the Pretoria - Delagoa Bay railway line, built by NZASM (Nederlandsche Zuid-Afrikaansch Spoorweg-Maatschappij) during the 1890's.
The town is rich with historical sites and buildings, which belonged to the old NZASM and are now proclaimed national monuments including the old ZASM Tunnel and Five Arch Bridge, as well as President Paul Kruger's official residence where he resided in 1900 before going into exile in Europe.
The area is a major rock climbing attraction, with some 450 sport and 150 traditional routes. The trails around the surrounding mountains are a delight for the weekend walker.
Waterval Boven lies amidst one of the prime fly fishing areas in Mpumalanga, with Machadodorp, Belfast and Lydenburg within easy reach. The Waterval Boven Fly Fishing Association has a membership of approximately 500, making it one of the largest professionally-run, fly fishing clubs in South Africa.
