Parys
The little town of Parys is actually one of the Free State’s best-kept secrets. Scintillating scenery, understated elegance, and enthralling views are just a few of the ingredients that make this charming rural town special. Parys is essentially a very important farming town as it produces the likes of corn, tobacco, sorghum, and cattle. Additionally, the country hamlet lies on the southern banks of the well-known Vaal River and is just an hour away from the South African powerhouse city of Johannesburg.
While many visitors to Parys can attest to its riveting natural beauty and idyllic ambience as good enough reasons to visit here, what really makes the town fascinating and therefore well-visited is because it is located within the highly-intriguing area of the Vredefort Dome. The Vredefort Dome is known to be the oldest and largest site of a meteorite impact found anywhere in the world and has been subjected to a great deal of geophysical and geological inspection. This meteorite impact is said to have taken place some 2 000 million years ago and has been declared as South Africa’s 7th UNESCO World Heritage Site. Naturally, the Vredefort Dome is very popular with many travellers mesmerised by the views of the entire meteorite structure they can see from atop one of the nearby mountain ranges.
There is more to Parys, however, than just the Vredefort Dome. The town is a great hub for outdoor activities namely hiking, 4x4 routes, and extreme sports such as abseiling and river rafting. Parys is also home to a wonderful pristine 9-hole golf course and clubhouse that are both found on Golf Island, while art lovers can visit a number of art galleries and antique shops found in the nearby vicinity.
