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City guide

Bloemfontein

Bloemfontein, also known as Bloem, is the capital and the largest city of the Free State province in South Africa. It is often, and has been traditionally, referred to as the country's "judicial capital", alongside the legislative capital Cape Town and executive capital Pretoria.

Type City

Why go

  • Judicial capital of South Africa.
  • Served by Bultfontein Airport (UTE).

History

Bloemfontein, also known as Bloem, is the capital and the largest city of the Free State province in South Africa. It is often, and has been traditionally, referred to as the country's "judicial capital", alongside the legislative capital Cape Town and executive capital Pretoria. However, the highest court in South Africa, the Constitutional Court, has been in Johannesburg since 1994.

Airports

Bram Fischer International Airport (BFN) 8.5 km to the centre
Bloemfontein, FS, ZA — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 2 airlines (South African Airways, Mango) · direct flights to 3 destinations incl. Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 2 airlines, 3 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Thaba Nchu Tar Airport (TCU) 63 km to the centre
Homeward, FS, ZA — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Bultfontein Airport (UTE) 93 km to the centre
Bultfontein, FS, ZA — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Edenburg Airport 78 km to the centre
Edenburg, FS, ZA
Outdoor
Valencia Private Airstrip 15 km to the centre
Bloemfontein, FS, ZA
Outdoor
Brandfort Moreson Airport 51 km to the centre
Winnie Mandela (Brandfort), FS, ZA
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
October – March

The warmer, longer-day half of the southern-hemisphere year.

Shoulder season
April – May, September

Milder and quieter, with better value.

Worth avoiding
June – August

The southern winter — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Bultfontein Airport (UTE); 5 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: BFN has direct flights to 3 destinations on 2 airlines (incl. Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg).

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Bloemfontein. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Coaches & shuttles

Intercity coach

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Charter, FBO · Managed fleet · Charter and FBOs at Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Charter, management · Large-cabin & VIP airliners · Geneva-based operator known for large-cabin and VIP airliner charters.
Charter, management, FBO, MRO · Managed fleet worldwide · General Dynamics company: charter, completions and FBOs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.