Equidistant from Johannesburg and Durban, the pretty little town of Bergville, also known as the gateway to the Northern Drakensberg, lies on Route 74 - the more scenic alternative to the Toll Road.
This route takes you via the Oliviershoek Pass, traditionally used to access the 'berg, from Johannesburg and through Winterton from Durban. Essentially an agricultural and trading centre, Bergville is the main town in the Northern Drakensberg and still holds local cattle sales on the third Friday of every month.
The town lies on the banks of the Tugela River, with the dramatic peaks of the Drakensberg in the near distance, and is a place to stock up for those heading off into the berg - Bergville has its share of supermarkets, butcheries, banks and petrol stations - certainly for this part of the world.
The towering amphitheatre of the Royal Natal National Park is just 40 kilometres away and the only surviving British blockhouse in KwaZulu Natal, now a monument and museum, lies within the grounds of the local court house in Bergville.
The Spioenkop Dam isn’t far, nor is the Rugged Glen Nature Reserve, Cathkin’s Peak State Forest and Monk’s Cowl, making the town a perfect base for exploring the Drakensberg.
