Panorama Route

The Panorama Route is a scenic road in South Africa connecting several cultural and natural points of interest.

The route starts at the foot of the Long Tom Pass just outside Lydenburg, following the natural descent from the Great Escarpment to the Lowveld, and ending at the border of the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces near the Echo Caves.

[2] It is also on this route that General Louis Botha fled from the English during the Anglo Boer War,[3] and houses one of the most famous Victorian-age canons in the world, The Long Tom.

Through the foresight of Joseph Brook Shires, commercial trees were planted in 1876, leading to Sabie being surrounded by one of the largest man-made forests in the world today.

[7] Graskop's history can be traced back to 1837 when the Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius and his followers were looking for greener pastures.

He wrote in his memoirs of leaving women behind in Graskop (translated as "grassy hill") whilst looking for an ox wagon route to Delagoa Bay.

[8] Today Graskop mainly serves as a tourist town in close proximity to many natural landmarks such as God's Window and Bourke's Luck Potholes.

The town is frequented by visitors due to the fact that it is the gateway to the Phabeni Gate of the Kruger National Park.

He started a trading store, but after his death the farm was sold, and one of the first private game reserves in South Africa was proclaimed on the land.

It is predominantly an agricultural community with large banana plantations, as well as other fruit-farming activities There are several waterfalls on the route.

[14] Due to the rich history of the area, the Panorama Route is home to several important cultural and historical sites.