Dullstroom

Dullstroom is a village of a few hundred people on the Mpumalanga highveld at about 2,100 m, the highest town in South Africa by most reckonings. It was founded in 1883, named after Wolterus Dull of Amsterdam, and proclaimed a town by Paul Kruger in 1893. Gauteng people know it as the trout-fishing weekend place, with stocked dams on every farm and a main street of restaurants, galleries and a whisky bar, and a natural overnight stop on the way to the Lowveld.

Getting there

Dullstroom is on the R540, 35 km north of Belfast, which is on the N4 toll road from Pretoria and Johannesburg; turn off at Belfast and follow the signs. There is no local public transport, though the Lowveld Link and Bushveld Link shuttles pass through. The village is small enough to walk.

When to go

The climate is cool and temperate all year, with about 1,326 mm of rain, most of it in summer thunderstorms. Even in January you will want a jersey after dark. Winter, June to August, is dry and cold, and the village leans into it with the Winter Festival in July. The Ducktober beer festival in September claims to be the highest in southern Africa. Weekends are busy with Gauteng traffic and many places close on Mondays and Tuesdays, so a midweek visit needs some checking.

What to do

Fishing first. The dams and streams are stocked with rainbow and brown trout, and most guesthouses and estates either have their own water or can arrange a rod, tackle and a lesson. The Dullstroom Dam reserve on the edge of the village has an easy circular walk with views over the water.

Verloren Valei Nature Reserve, 13 km north, is a 5,891 ha Ramsar wetland of more than 30 linked marshes. It is one of the few places where all three of South Africa’s crane species, blue, wattled and grey crowned, breed. Visits are guided and by appointment only. The Dullstroom Bird of Prey and Rehabilitation Centre, 9 km out on the R540 towards Lydenburg, rescues injured raptors and flies them for visitors at 10:30 and 14:30 daily.

In the village, the Clock Shop holds more than 7,000 timepieces and calls itself the biggest collection in the southern hemisphere. Wild About Whisky stocks a long list for tasting, Anvil Ale brews on the outskirts, and the volunteer-run museum opens Friday to Sunday. The disused railway station, at 2,077 m, was the highest in the country.

Good to know

Pack warm clothes whatever the season; at this altitude the nights are cold. Summer thunderstorms arrive fast, so drive the R540 with care in the afternoons. Book accommodation ahead for weekends, long weekends and the July festival; a central reservations office in the village keeps a list of more than 120 places to stay. The R540 continues to Lydenburg and the Long Tom Pass to Sabie, which is the scenic way to Kruger and the Panorama Route.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage, Wikipedia, In Africa and Beyond.