Ohrigstad: local history in the valley
Ohrigstad is both a village and a valley in the foothills of the Drakensberg. Echo Caves were discovered nearby in the 1920s. This means that, alongside Ohrigstad’s history, visitors can explore a historical story from the surrounding area and enjoy a distinctive landscape setting.
Ohrigstad was abandoned in 1848 after malaria struck the town. In the 20th century, the settlement was repopulated after the malaria epidemic had been brought under control. This sequence marks a clear turning point in the town’s history: the settlement was abandoned and later repopulated. Those who wish to take history into account when choosing where to stay will find a specific local focus here, alongside Ohrigstad’s character as both a village and a valley.
Echo Caves add a story of discovery to this picture: the caves were discovered nearby in the 1920s. The town’s history and this historical story from the surrounding area offer different points of interest for travellers curious about a place’s development or the history of its wider surroundings.
Mpumalanga in the wider travel landscape
The wider destination of Mpumalanga offers a broader thematic setting. The Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains are a World Heritage Site and encompass 40 percent of the Barberton Greenstone Belt. Their volcanic and sedimentary rocks are between 3.6 and 3.25 billion years old. Thus, alongside Ohrigstad’s settlement history, Mpumalanga also offers a focus on geological history: the two topics provide different perspectives on the region.
Landscapes and nature
The Blyde River Canyon is the world’s third-largest canyon and its largest “green canyon.” The Blyde River Canyon Reserve includes Bourke’s Luck Potholes, the Three Rondavels, Pinnacle Rock and God’s Window. These are examples of a major landscape attraction. The Verloren Vallei Nature Reserve offers a different natural setting: an internationally recognised wetland with high biodiversity. It is home to a rich variety of birdlife and rare and distinctive plant species. Mpumalanga also offers a regional perspective for birdwatchers: more than 350 bird species can be observed along the birding routes, hiking trails and nature reserves in the Barberton region.
Cultural history and cave tours
Mpumalanga’s cultural history also has many facets. Pilgrim’s Rest is a historic mining town on the Panorama Route. During the Second Boer War, an emergency mint was located there, where the famous and rare Veld Pond was struck using hand-made dies. In Kruger National Park, San rock paintings and archaeological sites such as Masorini and Thulamela are among the cultural treasures preserved there. Mining and minting history on the one hand, and rock art and archaeological evidence on the other, offer different ways to explore the region.
The Sudwala Caves bring together natural and cultural history: they are considered a site where some of the earliest evidence of human settlement anywhere in the world was found. Visitors can take one of two cave tours, including the four-hour Crystal Tour. This duration is a practical guide for planning; current tour times can be checked before visiting. Another way to explore the region is the 220-kilometre Genesis Route through Mpumalanga’s Makhonjwa Mountain Range. It is a scenic alternative to the N4 between Gauteng and the Kruger Lowveld. Mpumalanga therefore offers a clearly timed cave tour as well as a regional route for planning, while Ohrigstad itself is characterised by its local history and valley landscape.
Discover more destinations: Marblehall, Groblersdal, Boerboomskraal, Burgersfort.
For the wider travel overview: Greater Sekhukhune.
