Plizio Visual Lab
Kalkfeld
ℹ️Practical info — Kalkfeld
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🌤 Weather — 5 days
📍 Nearby
Sights nearby
💡 Tips
- Enjoy the ghost-town vibe: the abandoned railway station is a great, albeit slightly melancholic, photo opportunity.
- Fill up your tank: Kalkfeld has a small gas station, but fuel availability can fluctuate. Don't rely solely on it.
- Visit the dinosaur tracks: about 29 km away on the Otjihaenamaparero farm, you can see fossilized footprints.
- Drive carefully: watch out for free-roaming cattle and warthogs on the road, especially around dusk.
🍽 Food
Dried meat is the classic Namibian road trip snack; look for small farm stalls in the surrounding area.
A deep-fried dough pastry, often filled with minced meat, sometimes sold at rest stops along the main road.
Sometimes available freshly baked at the small local shop or farm stalls-just ask around.
🛍 Shopping · 🧘 Quiet spots
Local artisans often sell artfully bent wire animals to passing travelers.
The only shop for miles around for basic supplies, water, and perhaps a cold drink.
A fascinatingly quiet spot where the desert is slowly reclaiming human architecture.
Besides the dinosaur tracks, this national monument gives profound silence in the vast Namibian bushveld.
Water temperature…
Kalkfeld is a small settlement in northern Namibia, situated in the Otjozondjupa Region between the larger towns of Otjiwarongo and Omaruru. The town was established during the German colonial era as a vital station on the railway line connecting Swakopmund and Tsumeb. Today, Kalkfeld is primarily famous for one of Namibia's most significant paleontological sites: the fossilized dinosaur footprints at the nearby Otjihaenamaparero farm, which date back approximately 190 million years. The surrounding area is characterized by limestone formations, which gave the town its name (meaning 'Limestone Field'), and is dominated by commercial cattle ranching. Although the settlement has seen a decline in economic activity in recent decades, it remains a central service point for the local farming community and transit travelers. The climate is semi-arid, featuring hot summers and crisp winter nights. For tourists, Kalkfeld features a blend of prehistoric interest and colonial railway history, making it an excellent stopover on the route to Etosha National Park.
- Location: Namibia
- Nearby: Omaruru (63 km)
- Population: ~1.656 (2024)
Best time to visit & climate
The most pleasant time to visit is Apr, May, Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °C | 25 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 26 |
| Rain mm | 78 | 83 | 66 | 37 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 24 | 40 |
Geography
Facts
- Kalkfeld is located on the C33 highway and the main northern railway line.
- The dinosaur footprints were declared a national monument in 1951.
- The name Kalkfeld translates to 'Limestone Field' from German.
- The settlement is situated at an elevation of approximately 1,500 meters.
- Kalkfeld was once a major livestock loading hub for the national rail network.
- The surrounding area features several prominent private guest and hunting farms.
Explore nearby
Notable places around
Route planner — Car & Motorhome
Where do you start? We build the route here, with stops and country notes along the way.
© OpenStreetMap contributors · OpenRouteService
Frequently asked questions
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Nearby cities
History & landmarks
