North of Pietermaritzburg and the midlands lie the area known as the battlefields of KwaZulu-natal. It is bordered on the west by the Dakensberg and to the east by Zululand. This is a beautiful region of rolling grasslands and quaint little towns.
Around Ladysmith there are many important points of interest in the second Anglo-Boer conflict circa 1899, Spionkop battlefield, uThukela Heights, Vaalkrans, Colenso and Elandslaagte. There is an important museum in the town. At Dundee there is the site if the battle of Talana and an excellent museum.
Further north one finds Majuba Hill and o’Neill’s Cottage where the peace treaty ending the First Boer war was signed.
Going back in history is Blood River the sight of the epic battle between the Vootrtrekkers and Zulu 1838. To the south of that are the most famous battlefields of Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana ,where the English and Zulu clashed in 1879. Near Vryheid are the scenes Hlobane and the memorial to the Prince Imperial.
This is a lovely area to visit and fits in well en route from Zululand to the Drakensberg or vice versa. Most of the sites are a day visit from the Central Drakensberg.
