Maseru City Hotels

Introducing Maseru City

Maseru is the capital of Lesotho as well as the capital of the Maseru District.  The city of Maseru in Lesotho is situated on the Caledon River, bordering South Africa.  Maseru is Lesotho's only city.  It is home to about 300 000 inhabitants.  The city of Maseru in Lesotho was established as a police camp and assigned as the capital after the country became a British protectorate in 1869. When Lesotho gained independence in 1966, Maseru retained its status as capital. The name of the city is a Sesotho word which can be translated as "place of the red sandstone".

Maseru is situated in the northwest region of Lesotho near the border to South Africa.  South Africa and Lesotho are are connected by a border post at the Maseru Bridge, which crosses the river. On the South African side, Ladybrand is the town closest to Maseru.  Maseru nestles in a shallow valley at the foot of the Hlabeng-Sa-Likhama, in the foothills of the Maloti Mountains.  The elevation of Maseru is about 1,600 metres above sea level.  Maseru city in Lesotho covers a region of 138 square kilometres.

Places of interest and tourist attractions in Maseru, Lesotho
Maseru in Lesotho is home to several hotels two of which feature casinos: the Lesotho Sun and the Maseru Sun.  The unique looking Basotho Hat shop at the city's entrance is a popular source for souvenirs.  The main tourist attractions of Lesotho include Lancer's Gap, Sani Pass, Afri-Ski resort, Katse dam, Thaba Bosiu and the Maluti Mountains which are located in close proximity from Maseru.  Distances are deceiving in Lesotho as even a 120km trip can take over 3 hours as the roads are not in good conditions.

History of Maseru in Lesotho, Southern Africa
In 1896 the town of Maseru was founded by the British as a small police camp.  Maseru initially operated as the state's administrative capital between 1869 and 1871, before administration of Basutoland was transferred to the Cape Colony. During the rule of the Cape Colony between the years 1871 and 1884, Basutoland was treated similarly to territories that had been forcefully annexed, much to the chagrin of the Basotho.  This led to the Gun War in 1881 and many buildings in Maseru burnt.  In 1884, Basutoland was restored its status as a Crown colony, and Maseru was again made capital. When Basutoland gained its independence from the British and South Africa and became the Kingdom of Lesotho in 1966, Maseru remained the country's capital.