Middelburg is halfway between Johannesburg and Cape Town, situated about 80km off the N1 en-route to Nieu Bethesda and Graaff-Reinet. It is also on the western end of the beautiful R56 route to Kwazulu-Natal. Additionally, the R56  is the gateway to the scenic route to the majestic beauty of the Eastern Free State and on to Lesotho. Graaff-Reinet is just 107km away, with the beautiful Valley of Desolation in the Camdeboo National Park, and you can enjoy a detour to Nieu Bethesda on the way to view the weird and wonderful Owl House.
The Area surrounding Middelburg is widely recognised for the diversity of natural herbal plant life and is hailed as one of the world’s finest fossil areas. This part of the Karoo is one of the few places in the world where the historic ending of the Perman Era and the beginning of the Triassic Era is documented in the fossil life. There are also many works of San rock art in the nearby caves, documenting the life of the area’s earliest inhabitants.
With a mountain backdrop, plenty of water, prolific natural herbal plant life, big starry skies and San rock art on offer, Middelburg is an interesting place. In a way that is very much like other Karoo towns – wide open spaces, big skies, starry nights, sheep farms and friendly folk. Livestock farming, mainly with sheep, has been the economic mainstay and lately, ostrich farming is becoming more popular. The Middelburg Agricultural show is an annual event, and very popular. The horse championships are always one of the biggest highlights at the show.
The town has all the amenities like modern shops, medical and other professional services, excellent housing, education facilities, and still enjoys the peace and quiet of the Karoo.
Game farms, with hunting during hunting season, are very popular, especially to the overseas market.
This is an eco-adventure mecca with hiking trails, horse riding, quad bike trails, 4×4 routes, white water tubing, clay pigeon shooting, archery, abseiling and game viewing.
Middelburg offers good quality hotel, guesthouses, Bed & Breakfast, guest farms, caravan & camping facilities and self-catering units.
For more information on the Eastern Cape, visit ShowMe Eastern Cape.
