WELLINGTON…lies in a picturesque valley originally known as Limiet Valley, regarded by the early Dutch settlers as the boundary or limit of the settlement at the Cape. The town was once famous for its wagon-making industry and became known as Wagenmakersvallei (wagon makers’ valley) before it was renamed Wellington in 1840. It is the centre of the country’s dried fruit industry and one of the most important centres for growing grafted vines. The twelve cellars on the Wellington Wine Route include Bovlei, Wamakersvallei, Wellington, Jacaranda, Welvanpas, Cape Wine Cellars and Hildenbrand Wine and Olive Estate, and produce a wide variety of white and red wines. Wellington is also well known for its educational institutions, among them Huguenot College and Boland College. Noteworthy buildings include the Dutch Reformed Church (1840), and the various buildings of the old Huguenot Seminary. Just north of the town is a blockhouse, built to guard the railway bridge over the Kromme River, a tributary of the Breede, against Boer guerrilla attacks during the South African War. |
BAIN’S KLOOF PASS…is named after master road builder, Andrew Geddes Bain, who began building the pass in 1849 with convict labour and completed it four years later. The vantage point just below the summit affords motorists spectacular views of the Berg River valley; a little further on, just south of Bain’s Kloof village, lie the graves of 11 convicts who died during the construction of the pass. From here the scenic pass follows the winding course of the valley carved by the Wit River between the Limietberg and the Slanghoek mountains. Large sections of the road had to be blasted out of solid rock; one large outcrop, Dacres Pulpit, was left hanging over the road. In some places the road had to be supported by 12-m-high dry-stone retaining walls. |
SLANGHOEK VALLEYBounded by the rugged Slanghoek Mountains in the west, Badsberg to the east and Kleinberg to the north, the Slanghoek Valley is famous for its spectacular mountain scenery. The fertile valley is also noted for the production of quality wines, especially chenin blanc, colombard, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. |
GOUDINI SPA…is centred around thermal springs that bubble to the surface at a temperature of 41°C. The resort comprises indoor and outdoor thermal pools, a jacuzzi-spa complex, conference centre and a variety of recreational facilities. Accommodation consists of rondavels and flats, and there is also a restaurant and a shop. |
WORCESTERSituated amid rugged mountain scenery on the banks of the Breede River, Worcester is the ‘Capital of the Breede River Valley’. About 25 per cent of the area under vineyards in the country lies in the Worcester region, making it one of South Africa’s most important wine-producing areas. It is especially noted for its dry and semi-sweet white wines, dessert wines and brandy. The Kleinplasie Open-Air Museum depicts the lifestyles of the early Cape pioneer farmers. The museum comprises 26 buildings and structures representative of agricultural industries in the Western Cape between 1690 and 1900. Daily demonstrations of traditional home industries and activities (witblits distilling, candle making and tobacco rolling) are given. The town of Worcester is also a well-known education centre, and the Nuwe Hoop Centre for the Hearing Impaired, the Institute for the Blind and the Institute for the Deaf are located here. |
VILLIERSDORP…is the centre of a productive farming area where nectarines, peaches, pears, apples, apricots are grown and wine is produced. Founded in 1843 by Pieter de Villiers, of French Huguenot stock, the town has retained its rural character and atmosphere. Among the town’s historic buildings are several Victorian-era cottages, Oude Radyn (1844), Oude Huis (1852) and St Augustine’s Anglican Church (1858). A variety of fynbos species can be seen in Villiersdorp Wild Flower Garden and Nature Reserve on the slopes of Aasvoël mountain. |
THEEWATERSKLOOF DAM…was built along the course of the Riviersonderend in the 1970s, primarily for irrigation, but also to provide water for domestic use to the Cape Town metropolitan area, Stellenbosch and Paarl. Covering an area of approximately 52 km2, it is the seventh largest dam in South Africa and has a capacity of 483 million m3. It is linked to the Assegaaibos Dam on the Berg River by a 11,7-km-long tunnel, and by a 20-km-long tunnel to the Jonkershoek Dam. During the dry summer months, water is pumped from Theewaterskloof through the tunnels into the two dams, and in winter excess water is pumped into Theewaterskloof. The large dam is a popular destination with water-sport enthusiasts. |
FRANSCHHOEK…was established in 1688 when 207 French Huguenots, who had fled France because of religious persecution, arrived at the Cape. The French origins of the town still persist in the surnames of many residents and the distinctly French names of many of the farms in the fertile valley. A prominent landmark on the eastern outskirts of the town is the Huguenot Monument 3; the three arches symbolise the Trinity, while the figure of a woman, with the Bible in her right hand and a broken chain in her left, represents freedom of religious belief. The nearby Huguenot Memorial Museum houses exhibits on the history of the Huguenots, and is also a research, information and education centre. Franschhoek is famous for its many fine restaurants offering Cape Huguenot, French, traditional South African and Malay cuisine. |
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