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In the heart of Mpumalanga lies the Genesis Route. A 220km figure of eight loop, the Genesis Route takes you through some of the Province’s most incredible scenery and important heritage sites.

The Genesis Route also provides a scenic alternative to the over utilized N4 for those travelling between Gauteng and the Lowveld, Kruger National Park, Mozambique or Swaziland. Simply follow the brown Genesis Route signs along the R38 from Carolina or the R541 from Machadodorp, and for those travelling from Nelspruit take the R40 towards Barberton.

Try it and be treated to some of Mpumalanga’s and South Africa’s most diverse landscapes and spectacular scenery. Let the Route take you from the savannah grasslands that surround the holiday resort town of Badplaas. Through the breath-taking Makhonjwa Mountains with their undulating indigenous Bushveld, natural forests and rocky ravines that produce such glorious mountain vistas, that frame the historic town of Barberton. To the rich agricultural landscape of Low’s Creek.

But there is more to the Genesis Route than just the magnificent scenery. The rich cultural heritage of the region, the wonderful wildlife and unique geology has resulted in the whole area being given tentative World Heritage Status.

So come and enjoy the Route. Check out its newest tourist attraction, the beautifully interpreted Geotrail. That showcases the regions oldest inhabitants trapped in its rocks. This is the only place in the world where these rocks are found. Rocks that transport you back 3.5 billion years to a time when land was only beginning to be formed and you can see the first life forms visible to the naked eye and touch their fossilised remains.

Spend a day experiencing what life would have been like for the early Gold Rush pioneers, on a mining tour that takes you to one of the Mining Wonders of the World - Edwin Bray’s Golden Quarry. Then you try your own luck with a spot of gold panning or enjoy Barberton’s fabulous Heritage Walk.