About Stellenbosch

The town of Stellenbosch lies in the green and fertile fertile valley of the Eerste ("first") River and is the heart of the South African Winelands - and starting point of the Stellenbosch Wine Route. It is the second oldest town in South Africa after Cape Town and was founded by Governor Simon van der Stel in 1679, who named it after himself.
Stellenbosch has become known as 'the town of oaks'. These trees being abundant. Some of the oaks have been proclaimed national monuments. When Governor Simon van der Stel first visited the area in November 1679 he was much taken by its beauty. The name Stellenbosch ('Van der Stel's bush') was given to the site of the governor's camp, and by the following year the first settlers had arrived from Cape Town. There was ample water from the river and the streets were lined with furrows, which brought the water to every house. Oak trees were planted and houses built of locally available material, with thick walls, doors and windows made of local woods such as yellow-wood and stinkwood, and roofing of black thatch. The houses were finished with white-lime wash. The handmade furniture of these early settlers has become much sought after by collectors.
One cannot help but stand in awe of the magnificent countryside surrounding the town of Stellenbosch. Nestled in one of the world's most beautiful valleys, it is overlooked by the forested heights of Papegaaiberg (Parrot Mountain). A drive around Stellenbosch offers some of the best views of South Africa's stunning Winelands. Situated about 40km from Cape Town, 10 km from the coast with an elevation of 300m above sea level, the Stellenbosch area includes various meso-climates, aspects, elevations and soil types. To many this intensely farmed district is the wine capital of South Africa.
Key contributors to the quality of the wines are the cooler mountain slopes, varied soil types and it also has the advantage of frontage onto False Bay. The prevailing south-easterly wind, known as The Cape Doctor works its magic here keeping vines cool and helping to control diseases by reducing the relative humidity. Almost all classic varietals are represented here with Cabernet Sauvignon being the most widely planted varietal in the area.
The town itself is just as charming as its setting with furrows and oak trees, some dating from the 19th century, lining the streets. Thick-walled, limewashed buildings with thatched roofs and timberwork of stinkwood and yellowwood, dating from the same era, have been wonderfully preserved. Dorp Street, the main road through town, has the longest row of historic buildings in the country and Die Braak, the village green was once used for military parades and festivals, and is still marked by old churches and momuments.
The Village Museum in Reyneveld Street is a collection of historic houses dating from a number of eras, meticulously restored and furnished in period style, the gardens are planted with the flowers, shrubs and trees that would have graced the original homes.

• The Schreuderhuis is the oldest resorted townhouse in South Africa
• No. 18 Ryneveld Street serves as the entrance to this collection of restored buildings.

In Dorp Street is one of the longest rows of old buildings surviving in any major town in Southern Africa. Most of the buildings date from the 19th century.

• No. 116, Voorgelegen contains some of its original Batavian tiles in the parlour
• Tthe old Lutheran Church, built in 1851 by Carl Otto Hager, is used by the university as an art gallery.
• Nearby is the old home of the Reverand Meent Borcherds
• La Gratitiude, on the gable of which the original owner modelled the 'all-seeing eye of God' to look down on townsfolk. La Gratitude is now home to the Ernie Els restaurant, The Big Easy
• The Libertas Pavia is on the corner of Old Strand Road and Dorp Street. It's an elegant, gabled mansion incorporating both the Rembrandt van Rijn art gallery (with works by leading 20-th century artists, including Pierneef, Van Wouw and Irma Stern) and, in its cellar, the Stellenryk Wine Museum (huge old vats, Cape furniture and brassware).
• A military museum is housed in the Kruithuis ('powder house') on the west side of the town square. This was built in 1777.
• A perfect example of an H-shaped Cape Dutch dwelling is the Burgher House, a national monument. Built in 1797, it has been restored and is now an office building, furnished with 18th century antiques.
• For something totally unique, Oom Samie se Winkel in Dorp Street is a must. This shop, which is crammed with traditional homemade preserves, South African sweets and other bric-a-brac, is the oldest of Stellenbosch's shops.

Stellenbosch boasts a number of fine old churches and religious institutions of a variety of denominations. These include the first Dutch Reformed church consecrated in 1687, the St Mary's Anglican Church (built in 1852), the old Lutheran church in Dorp Street, and the Renish Mission church on the Braak.
The 25 ha Jan Marrais Nature Reserve within the municipal boundaries is a wild flower sanctuary of the first order.
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A trail of tall tales in Stellenbosch

Here's a walk with lots of history, lots of leafy shade and - if you've got a good guide - lots of wonderful local tales, too.
Tours of historic Stellenbosch start at the Tourism Bureau, in Market Street. That's across the road from the magistrate's court, and the first thing you might notice when you arrive at the bureau is knots of folk shouting through a tall gate in the wall behind the court. Our guide resolved this mystery; the shouters are friends and family of prisoners in the court cells, trying to pass on messages of support or opprobrium to those within. It's a sort of Stellenbosch version of "check your mate".
You might have difficulty tearing yourself away from the Tourism Bureau. It's one of the best of its ilk, astonishingly loaded with info of every kind and staffed by most enthusiastic and helpful officers - a welcome change from the sort of languid boredom that greets you in far too many little dorpies!
The Stellenbosch Bureau complex also houses the Toy and Miniature Museum, more reasons for dragging your feet.
When you eventually manage to tear yourself away, pay careful attention to your guide. Ours was Siertske van Wyk, a treasure-chest of info and enthusiasm.
She was also the unproclaimed holder of the world record for walking rapidly backwards while freely dispensing facts and figures about this fascinating town.
Siertske must have one of those third-eye things in the back of her head, because she also expertly avoided approaching pedestrians, lampposts and pavement edges.

Oldest restored house in SA

First stop was the Burgher House, built in 1797. It's the head office of a famous winery, but most of the building is maintained as a museum and is open to the public. The winery has done a pretty good job of the museum, but it seems they haven't got everything right. Just minutes after we left, the building was surrounded by loudly-toyitoying demonstrators.
Siertske led us rapidly backwards across The Braak, and we never found out what the fuss was about.
"Braak" means "fallow field", and was originally left as an open space to separate the original town from the "Kruithuis", the Powder House in 1777. The Braak thus acted as a very effective firebreak when an unplanned fire destroyed most of the thatch-roofed town, but the Kruithuis and its barrels of gunpowder was saved.
East of the Braak the 1 500m-high Jonkershoek Twin Peaks loom. The full moon, Siertske explained, sometimes rises directly between the Twins. Should you be lucky enough to observe this, rush up Plein Street, cross Andringa and look for the statue of the cat on the left. Stroke the cat and make a wish; if the cat purrs your wish will come true.
I think I'll stick to wishbones, myself. Nevertheless it's interesting that Stellenbosch has remembered its rat-catching cats with their very own statue.
We crossed Bird Street and turned up Dorp. Dorp Street, Stellenbosch has wall-to-wall historical monuments, even more than Church Street in Tulbagh.
It also has lots of traffic, deep water ditches and narrow pavements, and we had a few anxious moments as Siertske manoeuvred expertly backwards through the oak trees.

Massive lofty spire of the Moederkerk

Out of dorp and into Drostdy we cruised, for a good look at the Moederkerk with its massively-lofty spire. Down Church Street is the Schreuder House, the oldest restored house in South Africa, an intriguing glimpse into life three centuries ago.
Schreuder House has survived successive fires because it has a fire-proof ceiling beneath the thatch - a thick layer of sand covering stout boards.
There's much, much more, and I won't steal any more of Siertske's thunder by recounting any more of her delightful stories, but her two-hour tour makes a very fine and fascinating walk.
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