Ladysmith is the gateway to many of the area's battlefields as well as the central and northern reaches of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park. Named after the Spanish wife of Sir Harry Smith, the Cape Colony's first governor, and proclaimed a township in 1850, Ladysmith was an important transit point for fortune seekers en route from Port Natal (Durban) to the Transvaal. The town made headlines around the world for the turn of the century for the devastating 118-day siege during the Anglo-Boer War.

The Siege Museum located here provides insight to various events of the Anglo-Boer War including the Battles of Colenso, Spioenkop, Vaalkrans and Tugela Heights. Guided tours to nearby battlefields can be arranged through the museum.