Naval Hill

South Africa , South Africa

---

Naval Hill is a prominent, flat-topped hill located in the center of Bloemfontein, the capital of South Africa’s Free State province, and forms part of the Franklin Game Reserve, which is unique as the only nature reserve in the world situated entirely within a city’s urban core.

The hill earned its name during the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902) when British Naval Brigade troops occupied it and placed two naval guns there for fortification, though the guns were removed after the war while the name remained. Originally called Bloemfonteinberg or Platberg, it now spans about 192–250 hectares and features indigenous plant life, walking and jogging trails, and wildlife such as giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, springboks, and elands, with no large predators making it safe for visitors.

At its summit stands one of the largest bronze statues of Nelson Mandela overlooking Bloemfontein, offering panoramic views of the city, and adjacent to it is the Naval Hill Planetarium (formerly the Lamont-Hussey Observatory), which opened as a planetarium in 2013 and offers astronomy education shows. An interesting historical landmark on the eastern hillside is the “White Horse,” a rock formation that served as a key reference point for British soldiers during the war.