Parys

Parys is named after Paris, France

Attractions

Also see the neighbouring towns

Woody Island and Long Island are holiday resorts. The river offers all kinds of watersport. Parys lies in the Vredefort Dome, which is an area hit by a massive meteorite in ancient times (geologists speculate that this happened about 250 million years ago). The resulting crater is about 42Km in diameter. The edges of the crater form a series of outcrops which today form hills (koppies). The concentration of gold in the gold reef in Gauteng (the Witwatersrand) is probably due to this impact.

Parys lies on the southern bank of the Vaal River, which in this area is almost 1Km wide with several small islands. Being situated at the Vaal River, water sport, such as river rafting and fishing, is on offer. You can also do quad biking in the area, and hiking.

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History

Parys was founded in 1887. The town was surveyed on the banks of the Vaal River by a German surveyor, Schilbach, who participated in a military siege of Paris (France) who is also on the banks of a river. This simularity led to the new town being called after the French city.

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Economy

Parys is an agricultural centre.
Farming: Maize, ground-nuts, sunflower, corn, tobacco.

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