Rosendal is a small farming town and arts colony 45 km north of Ficksburg in the Free State province of South Africa which was founded in 1908.

It has become a popular tourist destination, known for spectacular scenery, including the surrounding Witteberg mountains, and is home to a community of artists and small business owners.

The Eastern Free State was first occupied by indigenous San and Khoi people, as evidenced by the many examples of rock art in caves on the farms surrounding Rosendal.

Through the twin pressures of the massive Zulu kingdom's expansion from the east, known as the murderous genocidal Difaqane, and the arrival of the Voortrekkers from the south, the various chiefdoms came together under the leadership of King Moshoeshoe.

As the republic of the Orange Free State expanded various Boer-Basotho wars were fought and the Basotho pushed eastwards across the Caledon river, before a British protectorate, Basotholand, was declared.

A town was laid out in 1911 and declared a municipality in 1914, built upon a farm donated by a widow, Ms Botha, who chose the name Rosendal, "valley of roses".

Lacking a railway stop, isolated by the Witteberg mountains to the east and being in an thinly populated area, Rosendal did not fulfil the early promise of becoming a city or large town.

Visitors will notice a grid pattern of streets with a small number of homes spread out with great distance between them, creating the sensation of being in open countryside even when in the middle of town.

Today there are roughly 140 people[2] living full-time in what is the historic town area as well as weekend or recreational home owners from Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and internationally.