The town of Utrecht in KwaZulu-Natal nestles in the foothills of Balele Mountains. A unique feature of the town is that it lies within the confines of the Balele Community Game Park and the Utrecht Community Game Farm, and it is not unusual to find animals frequenting the outskirts of the town, parks and garden.

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The mountains form part of the park which has been stocked with no less than 11 species of game including Impala, Blesbuck, Bushbuck, Waterbuck, Nyala, Red Hartebeest, Blue Wildebeest, Kudu, Burchell’s Zebra, Warthog and Giraffe.

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The long-term plan is to open the whole area to the town, so that game will be seen frequenting the outskirts of town, parks and gardens as is already happening with species such as Grey Duiker, Genet and the odd Impala. This initiative by the local Town Council in conjunction with Balele Conservancy and motivated by individual residents in the district, has brought about a shift in the town’s focus from industry to tourism.

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Utrecht is an outdoor lover’s paradise and activities include hiking, horse riding, trout fishing, water sports, cycling, bike tails and camping. The Balele Mountains, with it’s waterfalls and ecological diversity, is home to a wealth of fauna and flora – especially in the Balele Game Park, and offers excellent bird-watching opportunities, with over 280 recorded bird species making their homes in this area.

Utrecht is mainly the farming and mining community, providing work to the close by townships of Madadeni and Osizweni. in addition to eco-tourism Utrecht is an agricultural area and themost important wool-producing area in KwaZulu-Natal. It is also a major cattle and mixed-farming region, and farm holidays are available.

The Utrecht district is the tribal domain of five Amakhosi (Zulu chiefs), who today play an active role in the development of the area. The Mangosuthu Arts and Crafts village (with accommodations for backpackers) has a craft shop with a variety of traditional Zuly artiles.

Established in 1854, the town is steeped in history which is reflected in beautiful historical buildings like the old Parsonage Museum, the Dutch Reform sandstone church, the unique old military cemetery and stately colonial houses and other buildings. British troops occupied the Utrecht during South African War 1899 – 1902 and used it as their headquarters.

Once the home of the Dutch Reformed Church Pastor Rev. Neethling now houses the Utrecht Museum.[_/su_spoiler] This building was erected in 1899 but is not an historical monument. The interior of this church is still a gem. [_/su_spoiler] This magnificent old building was erected during the ministry of Rev. H. L. Neethling the first moderator of the “Nederdutsche Hervormede of Gereformeerde Kerk” of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (Transvaal). The foundation stone was laid by Gen. Piet Joubert, Commandant General of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek on October 23 1891 and was consecrated on April 21, 1893. The service on this occasion was conducted by the Rev. Dr. Andrew Murray, moderator or the Church in the Cape Colony and elder brother of Mrs Neethling. The building is a National Monument. [_/su_spoiler] This is one of the oldest buildings in KwaZulu Natal north of the Tugela River and dates back to 1856. It was the first house of Swart Dirk Uys who was the first Commandant of Utrecht, appointed by the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek in November 1855, four years before the District was incorporated into the Transvaal. This appointment almost led to Civil War in 1858. The façade of the building is the work of Senator Jacobus Johannes Uys, son of Wessel Hendrik Uys who was the first member of for Utrecht of the Executive Council of the Transvaal, elected as such in 1859. It is a National Monument.[_/su_spoiler] 25 December 1900. Memorial to Polish officer in the Russian army, who died fighting in a skirmish near Utrecht on Christmas Day 1900. Across the road in the grounds of the Ou Pastorie and Museum there is a wall with the names of all foreign nationals who died fighting for the Boer cause.[_/su_spoiler]

Fast facts about Emadlangeni municipality