Amersfoort, South Africa

This small town in Mpumalanga sits at a lofty 1,664 m above sea level, making it a chilly prospect for many. The area was first settled by Europeans in 1876, with a Dutch Reformed church built that same year. The town was officially proclaimed in 1888, named after the hometown of the original Dutch farmers. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as evidenced by the legal offices maintained here by Pixley ka Isaka Seme, a founder of the African National Congress. For those seeking a remote, tranquil community with ties to South Africa's early colonial history, Amersfoort may hold some appeal.