Tulbagh

Founded in 1743, the town of Tulbagh is nestled in a secluded valley bound by the Witzenberg and Groot Winterhoek mountains. A devastating earthquake in September 1969 shook the city and destroyed many of the original facades of the historic town. After this disaster, well-known South African architect Gawie Fagan helped rebuild the buildings in the style of an 1860s hamlet, and the result is a photographer's paradise. The 32 buildings that make up Church Street were all declared national monuments and constitute the largest concentration of national monuments in one street in South Africa. It's not all white gables and brass doorknobs, however. The workaday side of town is quite dreary, and unemployment is rife.