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The extensive and verdant beauty of the Winelands region is
one of the Cape's most alluring attractions. No visit to Cape
Town would be complete without having taken the time to
explore at least one of the 13 wine routes in what is the
largest wine-producing area in the Western Cape.
Rugged, blue-tinged mountains surround the green valleys
where charming, historic towns rest among vineyards and olive
groves, where visitors can admire traditional Cape Dutch
architecture, sip world-class wines and soak up the rich
cultural and historical heritage. Stellenbosch, Franschhoek
and Paarl are the most well known wine producing valleys in
the region, situated within easy reach of each other, while
the oldest wine farm in South Africa, Groot Constantia, is
located within the Mother City itself, and is part of the tiny
Constantia wine route, which was developed by Simon van der
Stel in the late 1600s. Other smaller wine routes include
Worcester, Tulbagh, Wellington and Somerset West. With a
selection of more than 200 cellars to choose from, the Cape
Winelands boasts some of the finest wines in the world.
In addition to savouring the fruits of the vine, visitors
can sample superb culinary fare at some of the finest
restaurants in the country, browse the art galleries and local
craft shops, visit historic monuments and museums, and partake
in an array of activities from walking, horse riding and
fly-fishing to golf and paragliding. Food and wine festivals
take place throughout the year and are a great introduction to
the bewitching charms of the region.
Attractions
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Afrikaanse Taalmonument (Afrikaans
Language Monument) and Museum
The Afrikaans Language Museum pays tribute to a unique
language that is only 300 years old, created from the
melting pot of nationalities and languages in the Cape. The
Dutch settlers, French Huguenots, slaves from Malaysia,
Indonesia, Madagascar and West Africa and the local Khoi
people all needed to communicate, and so was born the
language that could be used by all. The struggle to gain
recognition of Afrikaans as an official language was carried
out from Paarl, and the museum commemorates the people that
played an important role in the process, as well as
exploring the language in its diversity and learning about
the people who speak it today. The Language Monument on
Paarl Mountain was erected in 1975 to honour the Afrikaans
language and is the only language monument in the world. The
contribution to Afrikaans from the Western world, as well as
from Africa, are represented by the three linked columns and
three rounded shapes respectively, while the 187-foot (57m)
pillar symbolises the growth of the language. |
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Address: Museum: Gideon Malherbe
House, 11 Pastorie Avenue, Paarl. Monument: Paarl Mountain;
Telephone: 021 872 3441; Website:
; Opening time: Museum:
Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm. Monument:
Daily 8.15am to 5pm (until 9pm from September to April);
Admission: Museum: R10 (adults), R2 (children).
Monument: Adults R10 (R5 for South Africans), R2 for
children |
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Constantia
Constantia is the origin of wine production in South
Africa, and one of Cape Town's most exclusive suburbs. The
Constantia wine route is the oldest yet smallest wine route
in the Cape, consisting of just five wine farms that
concentrate on producing few wines of international quality.
Groot Constantia is the oldest wine estate in South Africa,
home to the first governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel,
and the valley's most recognised wine farm. Between the
estates of Klein and Groot Constantia, Steenberg,
Buitenverwachting and Constantia Uitsig, visitors will also
find some of the most highly acclaimed restaurants in the
country. |
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Website:
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Franschhoek
Fleeing religious persecution in France in the 1700s,
more than 200 French Huguenots arrived in the Cape and were
settled in the valley that soon became known as Franschhoek
(French Corner), which is today situated in the heart of the
Cape Winelands region. Many of the settlers were experienced
wine producers and they soon recognised the potential of the
region for wine and fruit production, establishing wine
estates throughout the spectacular Franschhoek Valley in
surroundings of magnificent scenery and towering mountains.
Today the town is famous not only for its splendid wines and
beautiful vistas, but also as the gourmet capital of South
Africa, boasting the highest number of award-winning
eateries in the country. Restaurants such as Le Quartier
Français, La Petite Ferme, Haute Cabriere and Boschendal are
among those that are internationally acclaimed and some of
the top restaurants in South Africa. The Huguenots did not
only bring their viticulture and French culinary flair
however, they also left behind a rich legacy of arts,
architecture and hospitality, which are still visible today. |
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Website:
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Huguenot Monument and Museum
A major tourist attraction in the Franschhoek valley, the
historic Huguenot Monument was erected in 1938 to remember
and honour the French Huguenots who arrived in South Africa
in 1688 after fleeing persecution in their home country. The
nearby museum documents the history of the settlers, from
their flight from France to their arrival and successful
establishment of the Franschhoek wine region in the Cape of
Good Hope. The museum contains a variety of Bibles,
documents, furniture, utensils and artefacts, which
illustrate the life of the Huguenots in the Cape. |
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Address: Franschhoek; Telephone:
021 876 2532; Website:
Opening time: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 2pm
to 5pm; Admission: R5 (adults), R1 (children) |
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Oom Samie se Winkel (Uncle Sam’s shop)
This famous Stellenbosch institution is a shop set back
in time, where a huge variety of interesting products can be
purchased from shelves crammed with sweets, dried fish,
wine, clothing and tobacco. It is well worth a look, if not
to buy anything, then to experience how locals traded 200
years ago. |
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Address: 84 Dorp Street,
Stellenbosch; Telephone: 021 887 0797 |
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Paarl
Situated at the foot of the second-largest granite
outcrop in the world, the town of Paarl in the picturesque
Berg River Valley is the biggest town in the Cape Winelands,
and features some of the most superb examples of Cape Dutch,
Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco architecture. It has a
rich history, boasting the Drakenstein Prison where Nelson
Mandela spent his last years in captivity, and overlooking
the town from the slopes of the Paarl Mountain is the
Language Monument, which symbolises the birth of the
Afrikaans language. Along with its historical background,
Paarl is also known for its award-winning wines,
particularly its reds, which can be sampled along the
world's first 'Red Route'. Paarl's wine route includes over
40 cellars, among them Nederburg and KWV, and many of them
also make a variety of delicious cheeses. |
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Website:
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Spier Wine Estate
Not only one of South Africa's most famous and most
popular wine estates, historic Spier is also an
internationally renowned cultural resort that offers
luxurious accommodation, conference facilities, shopping,
fine dining, and a variety of recreational activities,
including golf, horse riding, picnics, and a cheetah park.
An outdoor amphitheatre traditionally presents a variety of
music, theatre and dance during the Spier Summer Arts Season
that also seeks to promote, showcase and develop emerging
South African talent. Situated in the heart of the
Stellenbosch winelands region, Spier also boasts world-class
wines in what is the oldest working cellar in South Africa,
and together with its other facilities, is the most unique
development in the wine world. |
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Address: R310 Lynedoch Road;
Telephone: 021 809 1100; Website:
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Stellenbosch
At the heart of the wine industry is the pretty town of
Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa and
regarded as the wine capital of the country with over 110
cellars in the area. The Stellenbosch vineyards were
established by the Dutch governor of the Cape, Simon van der
Stel, who arrived in 1679 and noted that the combination of
rich soil and ideal climate were perfect for viticulture. In
1971 the first wine route in South Africa was opened, and
today the Stellenbosch wine route is perhaps the best known
and finest that the country has to offer, producing
award-winning wines from estates such as Morgenhof,
Kanonkop, Warwick and Zewenwacht. Spier Estate is renowned
as a unique cultural resort that is famous for its Summer
Arts Festival, and boasts the oldest working wine cellar in
the country. Stellenbosch is also steeped in South African
history and Afrikaans culture and was settled by the Dutch
East India Company to produce food for passing ships. Old
oak trees line the streets where Cape Dutch architecture,
museums and national art collections are a reminder of the
town's heritage. The town also boasts the world's only
Afrikaans university, a premier educational institute, which
has produced many great sporting heroes, including more than
155 Springbok rugby players. |
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