Parys

Panoramic view of Parys. Photo: Kim Søiland / Flickr

Nestled on the banks of the Vaal river, the quaint town of Parys has achieved tourist-hotspot status in South Africa because of a very prominent nearby attraction – the Vredefort crater. Established as a town in 1873, the name Parys is the Afrikaans translation for, you guessed it, France’s very own Paris.

Parys was named by a German surveyor who fought in the Franco-Prussian war and found that the little town positioned next to the Vaal River reminded him very much of Paris next to the River Seine.

The town is situated just 120km away from Johannesburg and is the gateway to both the North West and Gauteng provinces.

Parys not only offers small-town charm in boatloads, it’s also an ideal getaway destination for adventure-seekers and art-lovers.

Hit the hiking or 4×4 trails, hang your lock of love on the suspension bridge, do some beer tasting at the Dog and Fig Brewery, or don your best berry-picking bonnett and pluck berries straight from the bush. Whatever the case may be, Parys has something for everyone.

What to do in Parys

Visitors tend to mainly be drawn to the Vredefort crater just outside the little town, but there’s much more to be seen and done in Parys and its surrounds.

Where to stay in Parys

Where to eat in Parys

I Love South Africa

In the absence of a strong national brand that focuses solely on the country’s tourism and hospitality sectors, I Love South Africa has come to life. While exploring all aspects of tourism and hospitality, I Love South Africa will be the go-to source of daily travel news keeping readers up to date with the high-tempo travel and hospitality sector. I Love South Africa is part of the Blue Sky Publications group, publishers of The South African, one of South Africa’s largest and the fastest-growing news publications.