Chrissiesmeer combines a landscape of lakes and wetlands with birdwatching, historic buildings and recurring events. The town lies on the Highveld Heritage Route. This offers several ways to plan a trip: focus on the landscape and its birdlife, explore the historic town centre, or take a look at the events calendar. You can prioritise each theme according to your own interests.

Lakes, Pans and Birdwatching

Near Chrissiesmeer are two large freshwater lakes and more than 320 pans, which provide habitat for waterbirds and other species. The wetlands around Chrissiesmeer provide habitat for 82 waterbird species and more than 100 other species; these species numbers may change over time. Lake Chrissie, after which Chrissiesmeer is named, is 7 km long and 3 km wide. These measurements refer to this lake, while the figures for the pans and species refer to the wetlands around Chrissiesmeer.

For a birdwatching drive, the Highlands Inyoni Wetlands Birding Route follows a roughly 60 km circular route along Lake Chrissie. If you prefer a guided outing, a local waterbird guide can take you on an excursion during the birdwatching season; check current availability before your trip.

Sandstone Houses and Local History

Beautiful old sandstone houses define Chrissiesmeer. Restored sandstone buildings include the Old Methodist Church and the Old Mill. Both names offer tangible points of reference for the town’s history, alongside the houses that give the town its architectural character. The town cemetery also holds a remarkable historical detail: the graves of Boer and British soldiers face in opposite directions. You can observe the different orientations on site as part of the town’s history, without conflating them with the restored buildings.

Recurring Events

Frog Night takes place annually on the first weekend of December. Participants explore the wet wetlands at night with torches, gumboots and buckets. The Wild Flower Day is held annually in January, with outings into the veld organised by nature enthusiasts. The two events take place at different times of the year and have different focuses: Frog Night centres on exploring the wetlands at night, while Wild Flower Day is about spending time together in the veld. Check the current dates and event details before your trip.

Stargazing as Another Focus

According to tourism assessments, Chrissiesmeer is well suited to stargazing and long-exposure photography of the Milky Way because of its relative distance from large cities and its small size. This is a different reason to visit from birdwatching along the circular route or a seasonal waterbird excursion: the focus here is the night sky and photographing the Milky Way.

Discover more destinations: Elukwatini, Standerton, Volksrust, Morgenzon, Piet Retief, Grootvlei, Bethal, Ermelo

For the broader travel overview: Gert Sibande.