Affectionately known locally as Harties, the beautiful Hartbeespoort Dam, in the heart of the Magaliesberg Mountains, is not only a great location to live, but also to visit. Hartbeespoort means ‘gorge of the hartebeest’. The hartebeest is a species of antelope also known as the kongoni.

The 120km long Magaliesberg Mountains are 100 times older than Everest and half the age of the Earth itself. This mainly quartzite range, whose highest point is approximately 1,852 metres above sea level, is a natural treasure and one the 631 uniquely special locations on the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The mountains, popular with hikers and climbers, are filled with sheer cliffs, deep gullies, and steep-sided, wooded ravines. One of the best hikes is the 1.2 km Dassie Loop. Adventurous hikers also enjoy downhill mountain biking on the slopes, and paragliding off them.

The Magaliesberg have been home to mankind for millennia. The Sterkfontein Caves at the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site have revealed evidence of some of the earliest homini species on record.

The Aerial Cableway will carry you from the small town of Harties to the top of the Magaliesburg Mountains. From here you can see the whole town, the dam which first overflowed in March 1925, and the surrounding mountainous area stretching out below you. But it’s not simply a cableway. In addition to the panoramic views there are also other attractions. A number of restaurants provide a variety of options from the family-style to cocktails and tapas. There are curios or other delights available in the small shops at the both the cableways base station or the top station. Kids are also catered for at the KidZone.