page_title: Panorama Route
section_title: Landmarks
hierarchical_section_title: Panorama Route / Points of interest / Landmarks
caption_attribution_description: English: The entrance chamber.
context_page_description: The Panorama Route is a scenic road in South Africa connecting several cultural and natural points of interest. The route, steeped in the history of South Africa, is in Mpumalanga province, centred around the Blyde River Canyon, the world's third largest canyon. It features numerous waterfalls, one of the largest afforested areas in South Africa, and several natural landmarks. The route starts at the foot of the Long Tom Pass just outside Lydenburg, following the natural descent from the Great Escarpment to the Lowveld, and ending at the border of the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces near the Echo Caves.
context_section_description: The Mpumalanga area is rich in natural phenomenons, and the majority of these can be found on the Panorama Route.
  God's Window – This is a vantage point on the Drakensberg escarpment. The cliffs drop 700m from the vantage point. Frequented by tourists, on a clear day one can see up until the Mozambican border.
  Bourke's Luck Potholes – Bourke's Luck Potholes are a series of natural geological formations that were formed by centuries of water flowing through the landscape. The potholes occur where the Treur River joins the Blyde River at the start of the Blyde River Canyon. In a continuous manner, the force of the water in these two rivers, combined with the particles of sand and rock that the rivers' transport, wears cylindrical potholes into the sandstone bedrock.
  Three Rondavels – This phenomenon is named after small, grass huts called rondavels due to its remarkable resemblance. The shapes are due to erosion of softer limestone, leaving harder quartzite behind. The Bapedi knew these formations as the Chief and his three wives. The flat-topped peak was named Mapjaneng ('the chief') after a legendary Bapedi chief, Maripi Mashile, who defeated invading Swazis in a great battle near here. The three peaks are named after his three wives – Magabolie, Mogoladikwe and Maseroto.
  Echo Caves – The name Echo was given to the cave, as a certain stalactite formation produces a distinctive echoing sound when tapped on. This echo can still be heard on the outside of the cave today.
  Blyde River Canyon – It is part of the 29 000ha Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is carved out of nearly 2,5 km of red sandstone. Also known as the Motlatse Canyon, it is the third largest canyon on Earth and is situated below the confluence of the Blyde ('joy') and Treur ('sorrow') rivers. The 29 000ha Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is carved out of nearly 2,5 km of red sandstone and is one of South Africa's most remarkable geological features. Also known as the Motlatse Canyon, it is the third largest canyon on Earth and is situated below the confluence of the Blyde ('joy') and Treur ('sorrow') rivers.
  The Pinnacle – A large quartzite column rising from a deep gorge.
  Sudwala Caves – Sudwala Caves are known as the oldest caves in the world. Although the caves were formed over a period of some 3 000-million years, they have only been accessible to the public since the 1960s. The caves were used as shelter by prehistoric man in the form of Homo habilis, a predecessor of Homo erectus, approximately 1,8 million years ago. The caves play an important role in the history of the Swazi people, being used as a fortress by Somquba during a power struggle for the Swazi throne.
caption: The entrance to the Sudwala Caves
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