Situated in the famous maize triangle, Bethlehem features beautiful historic sandstone buildings and excellent facilities for tourists. Established by devout Voortrekkers on the farm Pretoriuskloof in 1864. They named the town after the birthplace of Christ, and the river, which flows through the kloof, after the biblical Jordan. Bethlehem is indeed blessed with surroundings in which seasonal changes surpass each other in beauty and splendour. Verdant spring is just as magnificent as autumn when the sun warms all in shades of burnished copper. It is the most important administrative, agricultural, commercial, industrial and tourist centre in the Eastern Free State. The last Saturday of the month is the date for the regular art market on the Moederkerkplein. Bethlehem furthermore has a modern airfield and railway station.
