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± 8 hours
Departure from 09h00
Return from 17h00
Exclusive Art collections
Wine estate galleries
Architecture: Cape Dutch, Neoclassical, Georgian, Victorian
Contemporary and classic art exhibitions
Choice of two/three areas: Constantia, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Somerset West
This tour caters for lovers of historic buildings, art, architecture and cultural history set in the beauty of the Cape winelands. Visit two wine regions as listed below and three to four different estates to view homesteads, cellars, distilleries, and gardens. This region stretches from Constantia in the South Peninsula, just 20 minutes from Cape Town and Simonstown, through to the Boland regions of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, and Somerset West. Take a step back into history to view the picturesque landscapes where classic structures were designed and built in the Boland’s oldest wine villages. Find out more about the epitome of status that was associated with historic vineyard ownership and wine production of people of high standing. Many examples of the distinctive white washed walls and variety of Cape Dutch gables and roofs topped with thatch out of reed, known as the Cape Dutch style of architecture, tells the story of beauty, functionality and heritage of the earliest settlers to the country. Much of the creativity and pragmatism visible in the work of the 1820 settlers from Dutch, German, French and Indonesian origins, remains well preserved for future generations by heritage councils, nationally. View the tapestries of ancient artistic traditions, interwoven with practical approaches of some master builders of yesteryear. Enjoy anecdotal tales of the lifestyles of winemakers, farmers and families and successive property owners of private, state and missionary land. View their choices of decorative art, and Cape Dutch neoclassical, Georgian and Victorian styles of architecture that reveal purpose, sustainability and beauty. Follow the traces of the Cape Governor of the time, Simon van der Stel, who together with designers and artisans helped create lasting impressions of the Cape’s foreign traditions and cultures since 1679.
09h00
17h00
Also known as the city of oaks, Stellenbosch is the second oldest town in South Africa, and home to the oldest wine route in the country. Come and view the traditional styles of architecture of the oldest houses in the country, food barns, and cattle sheds all set in leafy streets with water furrows and wide pavements. Discover the heritage value of preserved Cape Dutch gables and buildings, and skilled work of architects, timber and steel artisans of the day. Enjoy the combinations of new and old, modern art and café culture, and home ground of students at this acclaimed university. Viewings include a varied selection of original Cape Dutch homesteads and outbuildings at a number of award winning wine estates.
View the French Huguenot Monument whose design represented the cultural beliefs of the 1820 Settlers. Take a walking and motorised tour pass an interesting mix of architectural designs of a number of Franschhoek homesteads along Huguenot Street and various wine estates. View the evidence of strong French wine making and cuisine traditions of the Vignerons de Franschhoek. Walking down the high street is a rich experience of traditions where the pillars of old and new styles of architecture poses a popular attraction for visitors from upcountry and abroad.
Find out why the foreign settlers to this town named their destination Paarl. Translated to English, it means ‘pearl’, an association with the beautiful Paarl mountains, and according to some historians the apt description of a precious homecoming to foreign land. Visit some of the magnificent wine estates and preserved riches of the design and building styles of bygone eras. Discover old language traditions represented at the Paarl Taal (language) Monument, as well as some of South Africa’s oldest churches, residences and missionary station buildings. Witness how modern biodiversity and sustainable agriculture and wine making is combined to sit comfortably with history and tradition. Discover the beauty within old brandy cellars and tasting rooms, where wine makers, architects, artisans and carpenters replicated skills and building traditions from abroad.
Visit the earliest stamping grounds of Cape Dutch settlers at the historic farm named Vergelegen, meaning ‘far away’. This estate, that is located at the foot of the Helderberg Mountains offers panoramic views across the Indian Ocean to the Strand and Gordons Bay. It holds a rich history dating from 1685 to 1706, where visitors can enjoy a valuable collection of historic traditions upheld by the earliest settlers to the Cape. View some of the oldest Camphor and Yellowwood trees in the country, the resident slave site, and 18 different gardens. A tour through this old homestead and outbuildings is an enriching experience for lovers of art and architecture, history, and cultural heritage.
