CAPE WINELANDS
Cape Winelands
(Western Cape, South Africa)
The Cape Winelands forms part of the Western Cape Province in South Africa. The longest established and best known wine route is the Stellenbosch Wine Route and should be first on your list. The Franschhoek, Paarl Vintners, Worcester Wine Route and Wellington Wine Route area also excellent.
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The Cape Winelands is situated in close proximity to Cape Town, with the towns of Stellenbosch and Paarl less than 30 minutes drive from Cape Town International Airport and Worcester only 60 minutes drive away.
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The Cape Winelands is vast and filled with events and happenings, so make sure you set enough time aside to enjoy the beautiful surroundings, taste wine, pick strawberries and participate in numerous events hosted by the various regions.
There is more to the winelands than tasting exquisite wine. Try donkey and horse-and-carriage rides through the vineyards, picnics next to a dam as ducks and swans float by gracefully, a cheetah outreach programme where you can interact with the fastest big cats, restaurants, gift shops, art galleries, amphitheaters, spa and wellness centers, nature and game reserves, butterfly enclosure, lion park, crocodile park – the list is endless.
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The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR) is an internationally proclaimed area located within the Western Cape’s Cape Floral Kingdom in South Africa. It is located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa approximately 40 km east of Cape Town. The Biosphere Reserve extends from the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve in the south, northwards along the Cape Fold Belt Mountain Chain and the adjoining valleys constituting the Cape Winelands. The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2007 when it was agreed that the area has special people, an abundance of animals and plants, water reserves of great importance and a unique natural and cultural environment that need to be protected for generations to come.
Stellenbosch (Cape Winelands)
Stellenbosch is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, situated about 50 kilometres east of Cape Town, along the banks of the Eerste River at the foot of the Stellenbosch Mountain. It is the second oldest European settlement in the province, after Cape Town. The town became known as the City of Oaks or Eikestad in Afrikaans and Dutch due to the large number of oak trees that were planted by its founder, Simon van der Stel, to grace the streets and homesteads.
Stellenbosch is renowned for its beautiful environment, many places of interest, wine farms, street cafes, restaurants, quality wines, historical buildings and excellent educational institutions. Stellenbosch has a small-town aura with a leisurely lifestyle in an atmosphere where art, music and theatre reign supreme.
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Today’s Stellenbosch still pays homage to culture and heritage, as the town has done since its humble Dutch origins. Each new generation of architects, buildings and town planners used the inspiration of their predecessors to ensure that the aesthetic values of Stellenbosch remained intact.
Paarl (Cape Winelands)
Paarl derived from Parel, meaning "pearl" in Dutch is the third-oldest city and European settlement in the Republic of South Africa (after Cape Town and Stellenbosch) and the largest town in the Cape Winelands.
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The district is particularly well known for its Pearl Mountain or "Paarl Rock". This huge granite rock is formed by three rounded outcrops and has been compared in majesty to Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock) in Australia. (However, they are not geologically similar. Paarl Rock consists of intrusive igneous rock, while Uluru is a sedimentary remnant)
Like many towns in the Cape Winelands, Paarl is home to a prosperous community, with many well maintained and attractive Cape Dutch houses, beautiful gardens and streets lined with old oak trees.
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Paarl boasts a unique cultural attraction: it was here that the foundations of the Afrikaans language were laid by the Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners. The "Afrikaanse Taalmonument" (monument to the Afrikaans language) on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, the Language Museum (Taalmuseum) and the Afrikaans Language Route through Dal Josaphat are memorials to this achievement.
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The former headquarters of the wine industry in South Africa is also situated here. This was the famous "Co-operative Wine Growers' Association" (better known by its Afrikaans initials KWV). KWV became a South African institution that has acquired an international reputation based on its unique achievements and its imprint of quality on the local wine industry. Over the past decade, however, KWV has been privatized and no longer has an administrative role in the South African wine industry. (KWV's main wine production and maturation facilities are on its Paarl premises, while its brandy production takes place in Worcester and grape juice concentrate production in Upington in the Northern Cape.)
The town and its surroundings attract many visitors with an array of activities and interests. There are magnificent Cape Dutch buildings (17-19th Century), scenic drives, hiking trails, excellent restaurants and the Paarl wine route, with its many wine tasting opportunities.
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The scenic beauty of Paarl compels visitors to explore the many cultural and historical attractions in the Drakenstein Valley, together with some of the most bountiful nature reserves in the surrounding mountains.
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Visitors to Paarl will still find many vineyards in and around the residential neighbourhoods, adding to the unique character of the town.
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Revel in beautiful fynbos-rich walks and hiking trails, cycle along superb mountain-biking trails or take a relaxing drive through the countryside to enjoy the spectacular scenery, followed by a leisurely lunch and fine wines from the region.
For the golf enthusiast Paarl offers some of the world’s best golf courses, such as Pearl Valley and Boschenmeer Golf Estate - the ideal golf breakaway.