The town of Kroonstad, the third-largest town in Free State Province, South Africa lies two hours drive from Gauteng. It was established in 1855. In the 1991 census it had a population of 110,963. The main industry is agriculture. A caravan park and many more camp sites on the banks of the willow-lined Vals River are frequented by anglers and watersport enthusiasts.

Folklore has it that the town was named for a horse, belonging to Voortrekker Sarel Cilliers, which drowned in a stream named Kroonspruit on the site of the present town. From March 13-May 11 1900 it was the capital of the Orange Free State. The British built a concentration camp here during the Boer War to house Boer women and children.

References:

• [routes.co.za (http://www.routes.co.za/fs/kroonstad/)]
• [allrefer.com (http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/K/Kroonsta.html)]