Wartburg

A little piece of Germany resides right in the centre of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands - Wartburg. Settled in the 1850s by German families, the community expanded and won the right to teach German for the first four years of schooling. There is now a hostel that will accommodate 150 scholars who wish to further their opportunity to learn German.

Many of the inhabitants of this area are now fourth generation Germans and it is not unusual to hear German spoken in the shops. The local industry is mainly mealies (maize), sugar cane, timber and kiwi fruit although there is an increasing arts and crafts community.

The Wartburger Hof is a country inn built in the German style and of course the cuisine is traditional German. Each of the 16 suites is named after a German town (033 031482).

Game Valley: A small luxury game lodge ideal for getaways or day visits for lunches (033569 0011). Accessoramics: Handcrafted porcelain jewellery with genuine gold and platinum lustre (033 5011431). Pam Potgieter Calligraphy: Cards, certificates, inspirational verses. (033 5011104).

Witte Mountain studio : Fabric painting and underglazed ceramics(033 5011718). Silver Creations: Handcrafted silver items ranging from jewellery to sculptures and ethnic works (033 5031344). Cottage Crafts: Handcrafted woodwork on yellowood and oregon (033 5031107). Patrick Reynolds: Sculptor in wood and bronze.