Van Reenens Pass

Afrikaans name: Van Reenenspas

Beautiful scenery along Van Reenens Pass

Photo © Steven Herbert

KwaZulu-Natal

Van Reenen's Pass is about 36 km in length and climbs from about 1100 metres to a peak of 1768 metres above sea level.

The Pass links KwaZulu-Natal and the Free with the main road being the N3 highway. This is the main route between the interior of South Africa and Durban and the N3 is very busy road, particularly during public and school holidays.

The road winds through the mountains and offers some splendid scenery. Weather can be a bit unpredictable with strong winds, snow and hail at times. Every so often the Pass is closed to traffic because of the conditions.

At the top of the pass is the little village of Van Reenen. The town and pass are named after Frans van Reenen who owned the farm where the town is now located.

Photo © Steven Herbert

Most people using Van Reenen's Pass are doing so purely with the objective of getting from A to B (or B to A). They do not spend time in the area which is unfortunate. Besides the scenery there are a number of places of interest to visit and there are many places to stay or to enjoy a meal.

Photo © Steven Herbert

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References and further reading

Conolly's Guide to Southern Africa - Author: Denis Conolly - Year Published: 1982 - Page: 238

Hit the Road - 2nd Edition - Author: MapStudio - Year Published: 2018 - Page: 205

On Route - A region by region guide to South Africa - Author: B.P.J. Erasmus - Year Published: 1995 - Page: 154

Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide to Southern Africa - 4th edition - Author: - Year Published: 1986 - Page: 387

Southern Africa from the Highway - Author: AA RSA - Year Published: 1991 - Page: 72