Francolin Creek

As a four-star lodge, Francolin Creek offers all the luxurious ingredients of a great weekend retreat, with an inviting hint of traditional South African hospitality. We have 13 double bedrooms, all of which include an en-suite bathroom as well as a Bush camp with 4 chalets, sleeping 8 guests. If all rooms are occupied, and guests are sharing, Francolin Creek can comfortably sleep 34 guests. Icy winter nights are made warm, charming and romantic as every room has adequate heating facilities. The rooms are all serviced daily. Enjoy fully catered delicious, traditional farm cuisine when you book in at the guest house; alternatively, the option of self-catering is available when you retreat to the bush camp. The lodge offers a cozy wine cellar, Cattleman’s bar, two lounge areas with a roaring fireplace and a full-function venue for the bigger parties. As Francolin Creek is a lodge on a vast Free State farm, it goes without saying that the views and surroundings are breath-taking and magnificent. The lodge has been proven as an ideal retreat for groups of friends or families looking for a special breakaway to spend quality time together in an intimate setting, while still offering individual privacy in the comfortable, fully appointed rooms. For this reason we offer discounted rates for larger groups. Please see our rates pages for more details and please feel free to talk to us about any special needs that you may have.

Area Info

Situated due west of Frankfort, and an hour's drive south of Vanderbijlpark, Heilbron is a little farming community town, the fields that surround it the site of cattle, dairy, sorghum, sunflower and maize farms.

On the face of it, a not-much-happening town where you can pick up a farm, dwellings included, for the price you might pay for a cottage in Cape Town.

Except that the rise in the number of game farms now mean that within an hour and a half of Johannesburg people have access to wildlife – particularly those who live in the southern suburbs of Johannesburg for whom viewing game used to involve a travail through or around the major metropolis.

Heilbron's game farms mean weekends and holidays in fresh air. Farm stays appeal further to the adventure crowd after activities like horse riding, off-road cycling, fishing and 4x4 driving. And the good all-year-round weather means that there is seldom a season that disappoints.

It's interesting to glance at the town's history. It was named using the Afrikaans word meaning 'spring of bliss' for the perennial fountain, the source of a stream that runs through Heilbron.

Battles fought between the Voortrekkers and the local Ndebele people, and a local monument and museum, provide plenty of sustenance for battlefield tourists.

For a brief interlude Heilbron functioned as the capital of the Independent Boer Republic of the Orange Free State, when Bloemfontein was conquered by the British in 1900. The British used the town for one of several concentration camps.

Heilbron lies on the Riemland Wine Route – a 200 km tour connecting small rural towns of Petrus Steyn, Lindley, Arlington, Sasolburg and Rosendal. With roughly an hour's drive between each town it makes a peaceful trip, punctuated by history and wine.

Nearby: Ficksburg's cherry season, Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site and the Vaal Meander.

Units and Rooms

Deluxe with King

Guests: 2

Room with king size bed and an en-suite bathroom. Includes all meals (Brunch, Light Afternoon Meal & Dinner). Full use of the lodge facilities. Every room has adequate heating facilities. The rooms are all serviced daily.

Double Rooms

Guests: 2

Room with double bed and an en-suite bathroom. Includes all meals (Brunch, Light Afternoon Meal & Dinner). Full use of the lodge facilities. Every room has adequate heating facilities. The rooms are all serviced daily.

Twin Rooms

Guests: 2

Room with Twin beds and an en-suite bathroom. Includes all meals (Brunch, Light Afternoon Meal & Dinner). Full use of the lodge facilities. Every room has adequate heating facilities. The rooms are all serviced daily.

King Room + 3/4 bed

Guests: 3

Room with King- and 3/4 bed with an en-suite bathroom. Includes all meals (Brunch, Light Afternoon Meal & Dinner). Full use of the lodge facilities. Every room has adequate heating facilities. The rooms are all serviced daily.

Bush Camp

Guests: 2

4 x Luxury rooms, 3 with a king bed, 1 with 2 x double beds & full linen with an en-suit bathroom. Full use of the Bush Camp Facilities. Communal areas serviced daily. Self Catering. Full catering also available at extra cost.