Gross Barmen- Travel Tips

What to See, How to Plan & Tours

Gross Barmen, often referred to by its original Herero name Otjikango ("big fountain"), occupies a place of layered significance in central Namibia's landscape. Founded in 1844 by Rhenish missionaries Carl Hugo Hahn and Franz Heinrich Kleinschmidt, it was one of the earliest mission stations established among the Herero and named for the German town of Barmen. Nestled some 25 km west of Okahandja along a tributary to the ephemeral Swakop River and roughly 100 km from Windhoek, the settlement evolved into a formal recreational reserve in 1968, preserving ruins of the original mission while embracing its natural assets. The site's defining feature is a mineral-rich hot spring that rises from a depth of around 2,500 m at approximately 65 °C and is cooled to a comfortable 40 °C for use in both indoor and outdoor thermal pools. Spanning nearly 1 km² within a savannah of highland shrubland, the reserve supports wildlife such as kudu, warthog, and baboon, and has recorded nearly 200 bird species—including Rufous-bellied Heron and African Jacana—making it an informative stop for naturalists and history-aware visitors alike.