By Linda Tancs

Except for its annual festival of roses, you might think that South Africa’s “City of Roses” Bloemfontein (“fountain of flowers” in Dutch) is just a waypoint for oenophiles headed to Stellenbosch or art buffs on their way to Jo’burg.  Not so!  This city, the judicial capital of South Africa, has year-round delights.  For instance, Franklin Game Reserve on Naval Hill is currently the only nature reserve in the world to be located in the middle of a city.  There’s also Oliewenhuis Art Museum, a neo-Dutch style mansion, formerly a residence for the Governor General of the Union of South Africa and now one of the youngest art museums in the country. You’ll also enjoy a landscape of 70 hectares of grass and woodlands at the Botanical Gardens, or take a gander at the Big Five within the sanctuary of the Zoo.  Whatever you do, you’re sure to find a reason to stay awhile.