The Panorama Route and Pilgrim's Rest

Just over an hour’s drive from Nkanyi House is the incredibly scenic Panorama Route, one of the most popular tourist routes in the country. Offering one spectacular viewpoint after another, the route takes you along the Klein Drakensburg Escarpment. Spend the day along the route, viewing such picturesque spots as God’s Window, the Three Rondavels, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and numerous waterfalls.

Just a twenty minute drive from the town of Graskop, at the start of the Panorama Route, is the historic town of Pilgrim’s Rest. Often cited as one of the most beautiful towns in South Africa, it was founded during the alluvial gold rush of the 1870’s, when prospectors descended on the area to pan for their fortune. Declared a National Monument in 1986, the town features numerous historic buildings, small museums, restaurants and shops.

Recently the town has been losing ground in the tourist market to the larger, though less interesting town of Graskop. Locals and media may talk of Pilgrim’s Rest’s decline. However, much of this is unfounded. The town offers a glimpse into South Africa’s history that other nearby towns simply cannot. It is worth the short side trip to visit the town and all that it has to offer.