The city of Bloemfontein, known as the ’City of Roses’, is the capital of South Africa’s Free State Province in central South Africa, and it also serves as the country’s judicial capital. Bloemfontein is home to the Free State Stadium, which will host six World Cup 2010 matches.

The city, whose name is Dutch for ‘Spring of Bloom’, was officially founded in 1846 by British army major Henry Douglas Warden. The city has grown from being utilized as a fort to being a city of nearly 400,000 today.

Bloemfontein is known more as a city to live than a city to visit, but it has its share of attractions, such as the Bloemfontein Orchid House and the Lock Logan Waterfront. For those who need their sport fix night and day, one of the largest collection of rugby-related memorabilia is in the city.

The city also has several historical landmarks and museums, including the National Women’s Memorial, which pays tribute to the thousands of women, children, and elderly men who lost their lives in concentration camps during the Second Boer War.

See all World Cup host cities.