Groot Drakenstein, Cape WinelandsThe valley known as the Groot Drakenstein lies in the shadow of the mountains with the same name, on the back side of the Hottentots Holland Mountains, part way between Franschhoek and Paarl.
Franschhoek is safe destination, but it's always wise not to wander around late at night alone, especially after a glass or two of Pinotage. 2. Try a day walk in the Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve, east of the town. Access permit are available from the Franschhoek tourism office (franschhoek.org.za).
Franschhoek has a refined restaurant culture with many world-renowned chefs opening up fine-dining eateries in the region. Known as the 'gourmet capital' of the Cape, travellers come from far and wide to get a taste of Franschhoek's culinary scene.
The Bo-Kaap (“above the Cape" in Afrikaans) is an area of Cape Town, South Africa formerly known as the Malay Quarter. Bo-Kaap is known for its brightly coloured homes and cobble stoned streets. The area is traditionally a multicultural neighbourhood, and 56.9% of its population identify as Muslim.
On 31 December 1687 a group of Huguenots set sail from France as the first of the large scale emigration of Huguenots to the Cape of Good Hope, which took place during 1688 and 1689. In total some 180 Huguenots from France, and 18 Walloons from present-day Belgium, eventually settled at the Cape of Good Hope.
Located approximately 75 kilometres from Cape Town, the beautiful Franschhoek Wine Valley is home to some of the most exceptional culinary gems and magnificent Wine Estates. Boasting a selection of South Africa's 'Top 100' restaurants, Franschhoek has established itself as the country's culinary capital.
Stellenbosch holds the honour of being the most well-known town in South Africa. History, culture, natural beauty, sport, education and wine has made the name 'Stellenbosch' resonate around the globe as one of South Africa's premier tourist, wine, business and education attractions.
When was Stellenbosch University established?
Stellenbosch, town, Western Cape province, South Africa. It lies east of Cape Town, in the fertile Eerste River valley bordering mountains on the east. Founded in 1679 and named for Governor Simon van der Stel, it is South Africa's next oldest settlement after Cape Town.
Here are the best things to do in Stellenbosch:
- Off-road scooter adventure.
- Winery-hopping, tuk-tuk style.
- Bike around Stellenbosch.
- Trek Jonkershoek Nature Reserve with a guide.
- Visit a township theatre.
- Tree-top hopping.
- Explore a farmers' market.
- A bus tour of the Winelands.
Widely known for his development of the South African wine industry, Van der Stel was also the first Cape Governor to be of mixed race-origin, a fact that was largely unacknowledged by the Apartheid government.
Somerset West (Afrikaans: Somerset-Wes) is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. Organisationally and administratively it is included in the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality as a suburb of the Helderberg region (formerly called Hottentots Holland).
The town is a favoured place in which to live for wine enthusiasts, academic students and farming families alike. Stellenbosch is surrounded by the Cape Winelands mountain range of the Jonkershoek River Valley, making it one of the most scenic and attractive locations in the Cape.
Racial segregation, sanctioned by law, was widely practiced in South Africa before 1948, but the National Party, which gained office that year, extended the policy and gave it the name apartheid.
Page 3 – The BoersThe term Boer, derived from the Afrikaans word for farmer, was used to describe the people in southern Africa who traced their ancestry to Dutch, German and French Huguenot settlers who arrived in the Cape of Good Hope from 1652.
Afrikaners (Afrikaans: [afriˈk?ːn?rs]) are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from predominantly Dutch settlers first arriving at the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th and 18th centuries. They traditionally dominated South Africa's politics and commercial agricultural sector prior to 1994.
There are few places in the world that offer some of the greatest things in life in one neat and easily accessible package: Stunning nature, interesting history, awesome adventure, great food and wine, and some of the most exciting wildlife in the world. Cape Town in South Africa manages to do just that.
The Portuguese mariner Bartolomeu Dias was the first European to explore the coastline of South Africa in 1488, while attempting to discover a trade route to the Far East via the southernmost cape of South Africa, which he named Cabo das Tormentas, meaning Cape of Storms.
Increased European encroachment ultimately led to the colonisation and occupation of South Africa by the Dutch. The Cape Colony remained under Dutch rule until 1795 before it fell to the British Crown, before reverting back to Dutch Rule in 1803 and again to British occupation in 1806.
The first Europeans to reach the Cape were the Portuguese. Bartholomeu Dias arrived in 1488 after journeying south along the west coast of Africa.
The reason South Africa has three capitals is in part the result of its political and cultural struggles as a result of the influence of Victorian-era colonialism. Bloemfontein was the capital of the Orange Free State (now Free State) and Pretoria was the capital of Transvaal.
