From Robben Island
where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years to the Battle Fields Route
- the famous battle sites of the Anglo-Boer and Anglo-Zulu wars - the South African history comes alive when travelling through its cities and towns.
South Africa's rich history dates back to some of the earliest human settlements in the world. Heritage sites such as the Apartheid Museum
and Robben Island will give you a glimpse of the violence of South Africa's past - and the miracle of our reconciliation.
Going back to the 17th and 18th Centuries, South Africa experienced so much conflict that the country is a veritable patchwork of battlefields.
And don't forget where it all began - the Cradle of Humankind
is one of the richest hominid fossil sites in the world. Fossilised footprints near Cape Town and the wealth of rock paintings the Drakensberg mountains and elsewhere, all testify to humanity's origins on this ancient
The quaint, small towns of the Free State are rich historical and cultural heritage with friendly people where visitors are always welcome.Eastern Cape
Home of the Xhosa people, site where 9 border wars were fought between the Xhosa and the British and also birthplace of the major apartheid resistance movements.Gauteng
Since the discoveries of gold in 1886 the province has developed into an economic powerhouse with townships, battlefields and gravesites bearing testimony to the challenges faced by its people.KwaZulu Natal
Remnants of British colonialism and a mix of Zulu, Indian and Afrikaans traditions give the province a rich cultural and historical diversityLimpopo
It's also home to the Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape, one of the country's seven World Heritage sites.Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga - "the place where the sun rises" is home to the historic village of Pilgrims Rest - established during the gold rush.North West
Portions of two of South Africa's Unesco World Heritage sites fall within North West: the Vredefort Dome, the largest visible meteor-impact crater, and the Taung hominid fossil site.Northern Cape
The Northern Cape landscape is characterised by vast arid plains with outcroppings of haphazard rock piles and a land of many diverse cultures and of frontier historyWestern Cape
It is a region of majestic mountains, colourful patchworks of farmland set in lovely valleys, long beaches and, further inland, the wide-open landscape of the semidesert Karoo
Historical Sites of South Africa Map: