The quaint town of Clarens huddles in a shallow Free State bowl, surrounded by sandstone cliffs painted gold every morning by the sun.
Referred to by locals as the Jewel of the Free State, Clarens is a shoppers’ delight, with legendary art and craft to be found within walking distance wherever you are in the town, along narrow lanes crowded by small shops that flank a grassy town square.
Its location close to South Africa’s border with Lesotho facilitates brisk trade in traditional Basotho craft and felt-like Basotho blankets guaranteed to stave off the winter wind.
The sandstone massifs that characterise Clarens’ natural surrounds are also found in the town’s architecture, where many buildings mimic their natural origins.
We arrived with the first serious cold front of the 2010 winter, adding novelty to our experience as we curled up in the warmth of roaring log fires, sipping sherry and slurping homemade broth.
With snow promised, and the winding roads of Lesotho likely to be impassable at worst and treacherous at best, we ventured into the Mountain Kingdom ahead of the cold. The drive in was exhilarating, both for its beauty and engineering, as we wound around mountain after mountain, finally reaching the icy plateau on top.
A morning spent at a ski resort hugging the mountainside could easily have been one in a winter wonderland. It was far too cold to ski, besides which, the lithe forms swishing down the slope were more accomplished than we would ever become in few short hours.
We opted for hot soup and chunky bread in front of the fire instead.
There’s lots to do in and around Clarens, where the outdoors beckons hikers, horse riders and fossil hunters during the warmer months. The area has historical significance too, well recorded at the Clarens Museum, Surrender Hill and other Anglo-Boer War sites not far from town.
We were planning on a relaxing getaway, which it most certainly was, but the trip could just as easily have become a non-stop shopping-and-dining frenzy. With its innate beauty and perennial charm, Clarens can become whatever you want it to be.