TOURIST INFORMATION
Ladysmith Tourism
Town Hall, Murchison Street
Ladysmith
Po Box 29, Ladysmith, 3370.
Tel 036 637 2992
Fax 036 637 2992
E-mail info@ladysmith.co.za
This town on the banks of the Klip River - proclaimed in 1850 - was named after the Spanish wife of Sir Harry Smith. It became a prosperous staging- post for fortune-hunters en route to the Transvaal gold-fields and diamond discoveries at Kimberley.
Ladysmith made world headlines at the turn of the century when it was besieged for 118 days during the most crucial stage of the Anglo-Boer War. Today a commercial centre for surrounding communities, the town is a natural gateway to the tourist delights of the Central and Northern reaches of the Drakensberg range. Snowcapped peaks during winter form a breathtaking backdrop.