About Bethlehem
Bethlehem was founded in 1864 on the farm Pretoriuskloof, it is strategically situated in the heart of the beautiful north-eastern Free State. Its name means "House of Bread" in Hebrew, is very appropriate as it relates to the fertile agricultural soil so distinctive of the area which produces 65% of the country's wheat crop
This beautiful prospering modern town with its wide variety of shops,
restaurants and theatres is the tourism nerve centre of the Eastern Free
State.
Keep your camera ready - for when you visit the beautiful Pretoriuskloof and
bird sanctuary right in the centre of town. A leisurely stroll around
town to browse and see the Baartman Wagonhouse Museum and the shopping
centre erected around it to form part of the complex, is defenatly worth
your while. Treat yourself to dinner and the theatre in the evening,
everything from Spur to their very own Oscean Basket and even a real
authentic Chinese retaurant. A popular horse-riding trail of approximately
10 kilometres starts at the entrance to the Wolhuter's Nature Reserve some 5
kilometres from the town. It is said that apples from this district is the
sweetest in the country - There is a game ranch 16km from towm sporting the
"Big Five".
