Quick Facts: Pilgrim's Rest
- the town of Pilgrim’s Rest in South Africa's Mpumalanga province is a national monument
- it was declared a gold field in September 1873
- at the end of the 19th century claims were bought up and underground mining started by the Transvaal Gold Minings Estates (TGME)
- in 1971gold mining in and around Pilgrim's Rest was closed down
- the village was sold to the government as a national museum
- the Transvaal Gold Minings Estates started gold mining again in 1998
- Pilgrim’s Rest's original architecture remains largely unchanged since then
- Pilgrim's Rest was declared a National Monument in 1986
- the town of Pilgrim’s Rest in Mpumalanga is part of the UNESCO World Heritage in the Cultural category
Distance to Airport: 80 km
Distance to City: 18 km
Introducing Pilgrim's Rest
The town of Pilgrim’s Rest in South Africa's Mpumalanga province is a national monument. After it was officially declared a gold field in September 1873, the small town of Pilgrim’s Rest in Mpumalanga grew very quickly with people searching for alluvial gold. Towards the end of the 19th century, claims were bought up and underground mining started by the company known as the Transvaal Gold Mining Estates (TGME).
In 1971, gold mining in this region of South Africa was closed down and the village was sold to the government as a national museum. The Transvaal Gold Mining Estates started gold mining again in 1998. Pilgrim’s Rest's original architecture remains largely unchanged since then, due to the fact that the town was declared a National Monument in 1986. Pilgrim’s Rest is part of the UNESCO World Heritage in the Cultural category and is a wonderful attractions for travellers exploring South Africa's scenic Panorama Route.