Lydenburg (Afrikaans for 'town of suffering'), in Mpumalanga - South Africa, was founded in 1850 by the Voortrekker leader Andries Potgieter. His party settled there after retreating from the Lowveld where they originally settled. That is after they lost some members of their party to Malaria which at the time was rampant in the Lowveld. The cause of Malaria was still unknown in those days. The suffering caused by the disease was the source of the name for the new settlement. The town also played an important role in the Voortrekkers' quest to find a route to Lorenzo Marques (present day Maputo) which would open a trade route to them free from British control.

Among the exhibits of the local museum are replicas of the seven terracotta 'Lydenburg heads' (masks) dating back to the 5th century. It was discovered in the nearby valley of Sterkspruit. The archeological treasure, together with other Southern African finds, indicate the presence of an advanced African society pre-dating the middle-ages. The original Heads are kept in the South African Museum in Cape Town.

Attractions in town include the oldest school building north of the Vaal River (in the old province of Transvaal) and a powder magazine which did service in the Anglo Boer War (1899-1902). The scenic and historic Long Tom Pass links Lydenburg to the logging town of Sabie.