Ladismith: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Ladismith is a small farm town at the foot of the Klein Swartberg, the tallest range in the Western Cape. Above it stands Towerkop, a peak split down the middle, and east of it run the mission villages and the gorge of Seweweekspoort. This drive is a half-day loop on the R62 and one gravel road. Fill up in town; there is no fuel in the pass.

A short history of Ladismith

Ladismith is a small town in the Little Karoo, founded in 1852 and named after Lady Juana Smith, the Spanish wife of the Cape governor Harry Smith. To avoid confusion with Ladysmith in Natal, it is spelled with one letter different. Above the town rises Towerkop, whose summit is split in two. The residents make their living from vineyards, fruit orchards and a dairy.

The ten best sights in Ladismith

1
St Luke's Anglican Church
Small stone church on Albert Street, two minutes from the cafés
2
Amalienstein
Old mission village with a white church, 20 minutes east on the R62
3
Zoar
Mission village next door to Amalienstein; drive through slowly
4
Calitzdorp Museum
Small town museum in Calitzdorp, 40 minutes east
5
Laingsburg Flood Museum
The story of the 1981 flood that destroyed the town; worth the hour
6
Towerkop
The split peak above town; best seen from the road in the late afternoon
7
Towerkop Nature Reserve
Mountain reserve below the peak; for hikers and climbers, with a permit
8
Ladismith Klein Karoo Nature Reserve
Karoo veld and succulents just south of town
9
Seweweekspoort
A gravel road through a gorge in the Swartberg; go slowly and stop often
10
Huisrivier Pass
The R62 winding over the hills to Calitzdorp, with pull-offs for the view

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Tours in Ladismith →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Ladismith:

Free walking tours in Ladismith

Under the magic peak

Ladismith · Ladismith is named after Lady Juana Smith, the Spanish-born wife of the Cape governor Sir Harry Smith. It is spelled differently from Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal, named after the same woman, so that the two would not be confused.
Towerkop Nature Reserve · Towerkop means 'magic head' in Afrikaans, and local legend says the deep cleft in its summit was cut by a witch who flew into the mountain.
Towerkop · The cleft divides the summit into two tops, and neither can be reached without rock climbing; it is one of the classic climbs of the Cape.
Amalienstein · Amalienstein was a station of the Berlin Missionary Society and is named after Baroness Amalie von Stein, whose donation helped found it.
Zoar · Zoar is one of the oldest mission stations of the Klein Karoo, founded early in the 19th century, and it still keeps the shape of a mission village, with small plots around the church.
Seweweekspoort · The road through the gorge was built by Thomas Bain and opened in the 1860s. Above it rises Seweweekspoort Peak, at 2,325 m the highest point in the Western Cape.

To the port town

East of Ladismith the R62 climbs over the Huisrivier Pass and drops into Calitzdorp, a village that has made a name for itself with fortified wines in the style of Portuguese port. The hot climate of the Klein Karoo ripens the grapes for it. This is a half-day out and back, or a stage on the way east to Oudtshoorn. Tasting rooms keep farm hours; Sundays are short.

Huisrivier Pass · The tarred pass replaced an older road over the same hills, and the track of the Old Huisrivier Pass can still be followed alongside it.
Calitzdorp · Calitzdorp calls itself the port capital of South Africa: its cellars make fortified wines from Portuguese grapes such as Touriga Nacional.
De Krans · De Krans and Boplaas both belong to branches of the Nel family, which has farmed in Calitzdorp for generations, and the two cellars stand a few hundred metres apart.
Boplaas · Boplaas means 'upper farm' in Afrikaans. Besides port-style wines it is known for brandy, the Cape's other old spirit.
Calitzdorp Station · Passenger trains no longer stop in Calitzdorp, so the old station found a new life: the building now serves drinks and its grounds are a campsite.
Calitzdorp Spa · The spa is built around a natural hot spring, where the water comes out of the ground already hot and fills the pools.

The empty road west

West of Ladismith the farms thin out into open Karoo, with long distances between anything at all. This loop takes the R62 west to a hot spring and a pub famous all over the country, then turns north past the Anysberg to Laingsburg on the N1. It is a long day of driving, mostly on gravel north of the R62. Carry water and fuel, and expect no phone signal in places.

Warmwaterberg Spa · Warmwaterberg simply means 'warm water mountain', after the hot spring that rises at the foot of the hill and fills the resort's pools.
Ronnies Sex Shop · Ronnie painted 'Ronnies Shop' on his roadside farm stall; friends added the word 'Sex' as a joke, and the name drew so many curious drivers that he turned it into a pub.
Anysberg · Anysberg means 'aniseed mountain', after a wild plant with an aniseed smell. The nature reserve around it is one of the most remote in the Western Cape.
Laingsburg Station · The railway through Laingsburg was built in the 1870s and 1880s to link Cape Town with the diamond fields at Kimberley; it later became the main line to Johannesburg.
Laingsburg Flood Museum · On 25 January 1981 the Buffels River flooded after extreme rain and swept through Laingsburg. More than a hundred people died and most of the town was destroyed.
Dutch Reformed Church, Laingsburg · The church was one of the few buildings in the centre still standing after the 1981 flood, and it became a symbol of the town's rebuilding.

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Getting to Ladismith and getting around

Laingsburg Station · On the main line from Cape Town to Johannesburg, 50 km north over the mountains; long-distance trains are few, check the timetable
Calitzdorp Station · No passenger trains any more: the old station is now a bar and campsite, a fun stop on the R62

Cheap eats in Ladismith

Ladismith is small, and its quick food fits on one street: a couple of cafés and coffee shops on South and Albert Streets, a country restaurant and a burger counter by the fuel station. The district is cheese and dairy country, so look for local cheese. Coffee is about R30-45, a light meal R60-120.

Kannakombuis · Country cooking on South Street; a meal about R90-150
Andri's Coffee Shop · Coffee and cake on South Street; about R50-90
Sophia Café & Art studio · Café inside an art studio; coffee about R30-45
Steers · Flame-grilled burgers by the fuel station; a meal about R80-120
The Old Posthouse · Restaurant in the town centre; a main about R100-160

Museums in Ladismith

Laingsburg Flood Museum · Photos and survivors' stories of 1981
Calitzdorp Museum · Local history in the port village
Amalienstein · The mission church and the old village
Zoar · The mission village next door

Nature and day trips near Ladismith

Seweweekspoort · Half a day through the gorge and back
Towerkop Nature Reserve · Hiking under the split peak, permit needed
Ladismith Klein Karoo Nature Reserve · A short walk in the Karoo veld
Anysberg · Remote reserve; for those with time and a full tank
Gamkapoort Dam · Long gravel roads to a quiet dam

Things to do in Ladismith with kids

Calitzdorp Spa · Warm pools for the whole family
Warmwaterberg Spa · Hot pools on the way west
Elandsvlei · Campsite just outside town
Calitzdorp Station · Kids can run on the old platform

Where to eat in Ladismith

De Krans · Tasting and lunch among the vines
Boplaas · Tasting room in the village; brandy too
Ronnies Sex Shop · A beer at the bar and a look at the decor
Calitzdorp Station Bar · Drinks in the old station building
Mymering Wine & Guest Estate · Wine estate in a valley west of town

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Frequently asked questions about Ladismith

What is there to see in Ladismith?

The top sights in Ladismith are St Luke's Anglican Church, Amalienstein and Zoar. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Ladismith?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Ladismith without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Ladismith?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Ladismith, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Under the magic peak.

How do you get to Ladismith and get around?

The main ways are Laingsburg Station and Calitzdorp Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Ladismith, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Ladismith that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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