Belfast

Belfast is renowned for its Trout fishing and highveld scene

Belfast is one of the coldest places in South Africa but what makes Belfast renowned is its trout fishing and highveld scenery.

Belfast is situated near the Mpumalanga Drakensberg escarpment and 210km east of Pretoria. The grassveld district is known for cattle, dairy and sheep farming. The wattle and bluegum plantations are the oldest in Mpumalanga.

Belfast also boasts a tulip nursery that attracts large numbers of visitors in spring. Coal, black granite, fire clay and kaolin are mined. Large deposits of chrome and iron are found in the Belfast area.

Many rivers and streams rise on this watershed. They are clear and cold and are renowned for their excellent trout (and bass) fishing conditions.

Belfast is the railway junction for a branch line through Dullstroom and Lydenburg to Steelpoort.

Attractions in Belfast

• Berg en Dal Monument: Anglo Boer war monument
• Hiking Trails:
  Bospoort two-day trail through lush landscape. There are also the Rapids Waterfall Trail and Komati River Lodge Ravine trail.
• Belfast Tulip Nursery:
  This is the largest in the country.
• Trout Fishing:
  Belfast is a prime trout fishing destination.
• Kwasimkulu:
  An archaeological site of the Ndzunda-Ndebele.

The Belfast district is high lying, well watered and has a crisp, healthy climate ideal for sheep and dairy farming. It is situated on the eastern plateau, typical highveld temperatures are experienced during winter. During spring and summer the weather is mostly mild to warm. Mining forms a large part of the industry in the area, namely, top quality black granite and coal.

GENERAL INFORMATION

How to get there

Dullstroom 35 km, Middelburg 75 km, Pretoria 200km

Banks

Absa, Fnb

Dams

Belfast

HISTORICAL VIEW

Berg en Dal Monument

Anglo Boer War

NATURE

KwaSimkulu

Newly found ethno archaeological site of the Ndzundza Ndebele

ATTRACTIONS

Covenant Festival Grounds

Second oldest in South Africa

Tulip Nursery

The largest in the country, festival in September

ACTIVITIES

4 x 4 Trails

Witbooi

Bird Watching

Bospoort Farm House

Boating

Hiking

Bospoort – Landscape, Rapids – Waterfalls

Horse Riding

Bospoort – Horse Trails and pony camps. Indabundu, Lakenvlei Forest Lodge, Lion Rock Lodge, Treeferns Trout Lodge

Swimming

Trout Fishing

Belfast is one of the country’s best trout fishing destinations with seven dams within it’s municipal boundaries managed by the Belfast Fly Fishing Association (BFFA). A small group of modern pioneers, now the management cadre of the Belfast Fly Fishing Association Committee (BFFA), recognised the potential of the town and it’s waters as a new mecca for fly fisherman and women. Sound membership numbers and a dedicated committee have ensured the growth of Belfast into one of the more popular fly fishing venues in Mpumalanga. The stocking programme at Belfast’s waters is an ongoing process and is determined with accurate statistics established through a catch card system. These catch cards (daily permits) are only available from the offices of the BFFA, which is situated in the Belfast Trout and Tackle Deli, at the tourist village. This tourist village can be found on the left hand side of the main road when entering Belfast from the N4. For those anglers who enjoy being waterbound on float tubes, Belfast has identified Dam 2 (the Lewis Dam) as it’s floating tube dam. Lewis dam is large and often rewards the patient angler with some large fish. Catch and release, as always, is also encouraged at Belfast, but those who wish to take home their bag limit, can do so. The unlucky angler, however, can take home fish bought from any of the many trout stalls in the area. Belfast has also earned the right to be called ‘Disabled Friendly’, as it is the only town in Mpumalanga that has made it’s fishing facilities accessible to the disabled angler. Two wheelchair accessible toilets and a host of wheelchair accessible dams make Belfast the ideal venue for disabled people to try their hand at fly fishing. Belfast has also been host, for the past two years, to the only fly fishing competition for people with disabilities in the world. Accommodation in Belfast consists of a whole host of guest houses and two fine hotels, namely the Belfast Hotel which is situated on the main street, and the very comfortable Lion Rock Lodge, which is situated just out of town on the Stoffberg road. The most popular guest houses in Belfast are Woody’s Place, the Guinea Fowl and the fisherman’s Rest. All are within walking distance of at least four of the trout dams.

Accommodation in and around Belfast