Drakensberg Mountains

Why the Drakensberg Mountains are special
The 1,000 kilometer (620 mile) long Drakensberg Mountain range is renowned for its majestic cliff faces that were sculpted over millions of years by winds and rains from the Indian Ocean.

Drakensberg Mountains tips and insights
Amphitheatre
This is the most dramatic and famous feature of the Drakensberg Mountains. The Amphitheatre's cliff walls soar up to 3,165 meters (10,384 feet) above the plateau. Its rim stretches 5 kilometers (3 miles).

Thabana Peak
It's the highest mountain in Africa south of Tanzania's Kilimanjaro.

Tugela Falls
It plunges 948 kilometers (3110 feet) in five drops. If you measure multiple-drops, it is the world's second highest waterfall.

Rock paintings
Drakensberg Mountain caves are home to thousands of ancient Bushman rock paintings

Why visitors come
Popular activities include sightseeing, mountain climbing, hiking, birding, skiing, photography, and trout fishing, though many visitors turn up simply to unwind in this natural wonder.

Name
Drakensberg Mountains is technically a redundancy. The Afrikaaners named by combining draken ("dragon") and berg ("mountain").

Nickname
If you want people to think you are a local, call the Drakensberg Mountains "the Berg".

Location in South Africa