111 Best Sights in The Western Cape and Winelands, South Africa

Some of Stellenbosch's most historic buildings face the Braak, the grassy town square. St. Mary's Church stands at the north end of the Braak. Built in 1852 as an Anglican church, it reflects the growing influence of the English in Stellenbosch. Across Bloem Street from St. Mary's is the Burgher House, built in 1797. Today it houses the offices of Historical Homes in South Africa but you can view the main rooms during office hours. At the southern end of the Braak is the Rhenish Mission Church, erected by the Missionary Society of Stellenbosch in 1823.

Diemersfontein is best-known for originating what has become one of the most successful styles South Africa has yet created: coffee Pinotage. Pinotage, a South African grape that is a cross between Pinot Noir and Hermitage, can be bitter and is sometimes described as rubbery. Through careful yeast selection and the addition of toasted oak staves during aging, Diemersfontein's Bertus Fourie brought out prominent coffee and chocolate notes in the wine, creating a new and hugely popular style. The estate's other brand, Thokozani, is a Black empowerment project, partly owned by the winery staff. 

Stellenbosch's most historic avenue is oak-lined Dorp Street. Almost the entire street is a national monument, flanked by lovely restored homes from every period of the town's history. Look out for Voorgelegen at no. 116, a perfectly preserved Georgian home from the 19th century. Perhaps most interesting is La Gratitude at no. 95. This early 18th-century home was built in traditional Cape Dutch town-house style. The all-seeing eye of God molded on its gable was designed as a talisman to watch over the owner's property and keep him and his family safe from harm.

The Drostdy was built in 1747 by the Dutch East India Company to serve as the residence of the landdrost, the magistrate who presided over the district. The building is furnished in a style that dates back to the late 1700s and early 1800s. A path leads through the Drostdy herb gardens to Mayville, an 1855 middle-class home that blends elements of Cape Dutch and Cape Georgian architecture. Across Swellengrebel Street stand the old jail and an outdoor exhibit of tools used by the town's blacksmiths, wainwrights, coopers, and tanners.

Swellendam's Dutch Reformed Church is an imposing white edifice built in 1911 in an eclectic style. The gables are baroque, the windows Gothic, and the steeple a replica of one in Belgium. Surprisingly, all the elements work together wonderfully. Inside is an interesting tiered amphitheater with banks of curving wood pews facing the pulpit and organ.

Also known as the Strooidakkerk, the old Dutch Reformed Church is a thatch building dating from 1805. The cemetery contains the tombstones of the Malherbe family, who were instrumental in the campaign to gain official recognition for Afrikaans. The church is still active, and you can peek inside.

Little has changed in the last 200 years in the Moravian mission village of Elim, founded in 1824. Simple whitewashed cottages line the few streets. All the residents belong to the Moravian Church. You're welcome to attend services, when just about the whole town turns out in their Sunday best. Elim is the only town in the country that has a monument dedicated to the freeing of the slaves in 1838. It's also home to the country's oldest working clock and biggest wooden waterwheel. There's a tourism office near the waterwheel with a small museum detailing the history of the village. Grab a bite in the tearoom next to the waterwheel. Elim is 36 km (22 miles) west of Bredasdorp.

On the road into McGregor, Eseltjiesrus Donkey Sanctuary provides a safe space for neglected and abused donkeys. Kids can meet Alice, Lulu, and the other four-footed residents while you relax at the restaurant, which serves light lunches.

A visit to Fairview is a treat for the whole family, including kids and adults who aren't fans of wine. Children get a kick out of seeing peacocks roaming the grounds and goats clambering up a spiral staircase into a goat tower. And those goats aren't just for decoration—Fairview produces a superb line of goat cheeses and olive oil, all of which you can sample. Visit the Vineyard Cheesery, the first carbon-neutral cheesery on the African continent, and taste the Roydon Camembert. But don't let Fairview's sideshows color your judgment about the wines. The estate's wines are top-drawer and often surprising. The Fairview Eenzaamheid Shiraz is excellent, as is the La Beryl Blanc. The winery also makes creative use of the farm's many Rhône varieties. Perhaps it's just because the pun was irresistible, but (as claimed by the label) goats are sent into the vineyard to personally select grapes for the Goats-do-Roam, which is indeed like a young Côtes du Rhône (infuriating French winemakers). If you care to linger, you can have a light meal and freshly baked bread at the Goatshed Restaurant.

The Wine Tram is the best way to see Franschhoek, allowing you to visit up to six wineries in a day with the freedom to stay for as long as you like at each estate. There are eight different routes to choose from, covering the entire valley. The tram line itself is pretty short, with most routes actually serviced by a trolley bus. A day pass is R270, but all wine tastings are extra. There are also guided tours if you want something more formal.

As you're heading inland to explore the Overberg or the Garden Route, be sure to stop at the impressive Gabriëlskloof, 29 km (18 miles) northeast of Kleinmond. Try the award–winning Shiraz with notes of pepper and cherries in the garden or in front of a log fire in the tasting room. You can also sample the estate's extra-virgin olive oil, and perhaps purchase some from the deli. The Gabriëlskloof restaurant  is a great place to stop for lunch. The menu changes regularly, but the food is always no-fuss house-cooked fare made with fresh local produce. 

The neighboring village to Greyton is Genadendal, a Moravian mission founded in 1737. The first school in the interior opened its doors in 1738. In 1838, the first Teachers Training College in South Africa was established. Seeing this impoverished hamlet today, it's difficult to comprehend the major role the mission played in the early history of South Africa. Some of the first written works in Afrikaans were printed here, and the Coloured community greatly influenced the development of the language as it is spoken today. None of this went down well with the white government of the time. By 1909 new legislation prohibited Coloured ownership of land, and in 1926 the Department of Public Education closed the settlement's teachers' training college, arguing that Coloured people were better employed on neighboring farms.

In 1980 all the buildings on Church Square were declared national monuments, but despite a number of community-based projects, Genadendal has endured a long slide into obscurity. You can walk the streets and tour the historic buildings facing Church Square. Ask at the Genadendal Mission Museum for somebody to show you around.

On the site of the original mission station, the Genadendal Mission Museum is spread through 15 rooms in three buildings. The collection includes items from early in the settlement's history, including the country's oldest pipe organ, brought in 1832. Wall displays examine mission life in the Cape in the 18th and 19th centuries, focusing on the early missionaries' work.

What comes out of Glen Carlou is rather special. The Quartz Stone Chardonnay is exceptional, and the Gravel Quarry Cabernet is also remarkable. A unique feature of the estate is the Zen Fynbos Garden, a great place to relax after you've stocked up on some seriously good wines. You can also enjoy a superb lunch at the restaurant. The menu changes seasonally, but you can look forward to dishes like whipped goat cheese with truffle honey, and lamb shoulder with summer peas and red wine jus. There's also a children's menu.

Who needs French Champagne when you have top-class South African Méthode Cap Classique at very affordable prices? Graham Beck Wines, on the road between Worcester and Robertson, produces some very sophisticated wines. Cellarmaster Pieter Ferreira is known as Mr. Bubbles for his wonderful sparkling wines, which are so popular that the farm no longer produces any still wines. The iconic Cap Classique flagship, Cuvée Clive, is the undisputed favorite in the range.

Former dairy farmer Peter Pentz had enough of getting up at 4 am to milk his cows, so together with his son, Nick, he turned instead to grapes at Groote Post Vineyard. The large, environmentally sensitive winery got off to a fantastic start when its maiden 1999 Sauvignon Blanc was judged one of the best in the Cape, and Groote Post has been winning awards ever since. Try the Groote Post Kapokberg Sauvignon Blanc, packed with flavors of granadilla, green fig, and green pepper. The restaurant, Hilda's Kitchen, is an excellent choice for lunch and makes scrumptious picnic baskets teeming with local cheeses and cured meats, quiches, and chocolate brownies (order these in advance). Game drives through the unique renosterveld ("rhino vegetation" in Afrikaans) are offered during the summer; advanced bookings are essential.

In a thatch building overlooking a small dam, Hamilton Russell Vineyards produces only two varietals: Chardonnay and the temperamental Pinot Noir. Their wines are regarded as some of the best in the world, regularly winning all manner of accolades and awards. 

This 440-acre nature reserve is in the heart of the coastal fynbos, where the Cape floral kingdom is at its richest. The profusion of plants supports 96 species of birds and a wide range of small mammals, including troops of chacma baboons. You couldn't ask for a more fantastic setting, cradled between the Atlantic and the towering peaks of the 3,000-foot Kogelberg Range. Walking trails wind through the reserve and into the mountains via Disa and Leopard's kloofs, which echo with the sound of waterfalls. Back at the main buildings, a pleasant restaurant serves light meals. Book at least two weeks in advance for a guided tour to take you around the gardens.

Built in 1994 on the lower slopes of the Franschhoek Mountains, Haute Cabrière was the brainchild of Achim von Arnim, one of the Cape's most colorful winemakers. To avoid scarring the mountain, the complex, which includes the fine Haute Cabrière restaurant and terrace, hunkers into the hillside. Von Arnim's son, Takuan, has taken over as cellarmaster and continues to produce excellent wines. There are three Cap Classique sparkling wines under the Pierre Jordan label, and four Haute Cabrière wines. The fruity, mouth-filling unwooded Pinot Noir is consistently one of the best. Also delicious is the Chardonnay–Pinot Noir blend, an ideal, extremely quaffable wine to enjoy at lunchtime. Cellar tours depart at noon every day.

To trace the history of the Huguenot community here, visit the Huguenot Memorial Museum. Its main building is modeled after the Saasveld house, built in 1791 by renowned Cape architect Louis Thibault in Cape Town. Wall displays profile some of the early families. Exhibits also focus on other aspects of the region's history, such as the development of Cape Dutch architecture and the relationship of the Huguenots with the Dutch East India Company. Displays in the annex cover the culture and life of the Khoekhoen, or Khoikhoi, once derogatorily known as Hottentots, as well as the role of slaves and local laborers in the development of the Franschhoek Valley. Bring a picnic basket and take advantage of the lovely garden. Be sure to visit the adjacent Huguenot Memorial.

At the end of the main road through Franschhoek is the Huguenot Monument, built in 1948 to commemorate the contribution of the Huguenots to South Africa's development. The three arches symbolize the Holy Trinity, the sun and cross reference the Huguenots' emblem, and the female figure in front represents Freedom of Conscience. The nearby graveyard date back 300 years. Most graves are marked with rectangular headstones or obelisks, rather than the symbol associated with the church the Huguenots were so desperate to escape.

Halfway down the hill from the Afrikaans Language Monument is a turnoff onto a dirt road and a sign for the Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve. The dirt road is Jan Phillips Mountain Drive, which runs 11 km (7 miles) along the mountainside, offering tremendous views over the valley. Along the way it passes the Mill Water Wildflower Garden and the starting points for several trails, including hikes up to the great granite domes of Paarl Mountain. The dirt road rejoins Main Street at the far end of Paarl.

At the end of Stellenbosch Kloof Road, this meticulous winery, flanked by the Bottelary hills, overlooks rolling vineyards and jagged mountains. Husband-and-wife team Gary and Kathy Jordan studied at the University of California at Davis and worked at California's Iron Horse Winery. Since the first vintage in 1993, the winery has established a formidable reputation. The Sauvignon Blanc makes for good summer drinking; the dense but fruity Nine Yards Chardonnay is extremely popular and has regulars stocking up on cases at a time. Another wine to try is the Cobblers Hill Bordeaux blend. The wine estate has an excellent restaurant, as well as a bakery where you can enjoy breakfast or a light lunch. Cellar tours are available by appointment; book at least a day ahead.

With several hundred species of indigenous flora, including succulents, bulbs, aloes, and trees, the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden has been billed as one of the most important such collections in the world. If you phone ahead, you can arrange a guided tour through the gardens and the collection houses for around R60 per person. The garden lies on the opposite side of the N1 highway from the town of Worcester, but is easy to find if you follow the signs eastward from the last set of traffic lights on High Street. Follow the road from the entrance to the garden to the main parking area, the starting point of three clearly marked walks. There is also a Braille Garden geared toward the visually impaired.

This family-run farm has many awards under its belt and is probably best known for its excellent Shiraz, a ruby red wine with smoky flavors and a chocolate aftertaste. Also worth taking home is the Merlot, with sweet berry and oak flavors and excellent aging potential. The Eight Feet is a fun but very drinkable testimony to the generations of du Toits who have worked the land: it alludes to the eight grape-stomping feet of the owners' four sons. Don't miss out on Annalene du Toit's olive products. Kloovenburg olive oils are exceptional, and they manufacture olive oil beauty products, too.

Midway between Betty's Bay and Kleinmond is Kogelberg Nature Reserve, a 66,000-acre area of fynbos that extends from the mountains almost to the sea and includes most of the course of the Palmiet River. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the 1990s, it has fauna and flora found nowhere else in the world. Take one of the well-marked nature walks through the reserve and you are sure to see some of the area's magnificent birds, including the Hottentot buttonquail, the orange-breasted sunbird, and the African purple swamphen. One of the reserve's best-kept secrets is its eco-friendly cabins that can sleep up to four people.

Short for Ko-operatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging (Cooperative Winegrowers' Association), KWV regulated and controlled the local wine industry for decades. This is no longer the case, and KWV is seeking to redefine itself as a top wine and spirit producer. KWV produces an enormous selection of excellent wines, and its cellars are some of the largest in the world, covering around 55 acres. Cellar tours here are very popular; among the highlights is the famous Cathedral Cellar, with a barrel-vaulted ceiling and giant vats carved with scenes from wine-making history. The tour ends with a tasting of two white wines, two red wines, a fortified wine, and a brandy. There is a range of fun pairing experiences on offer too, including bubbly and cheesecake, brandy and chocolate, or wine with savory pies. As well as award-winning wines, KWV produces some of the finest spirits, with the KWV 12-year-old regularly raking in the accolades. 

Dating from 1811, the archetypal Cape Dutch manor house is festooned with flowers and framed by majestic peaks. But instead of remaining in the past, this winery has embraced the future and pumped serious money into a major revamp. L'Ormarins is the main estate and part of the Rupert empire, but there are five labels produced by their various farms dotted around the Western Cape. The farm has three state-of-the-art cellars and two tasting rooms. At the Anthonij Rupert Tasting Room, in the manor house, you can try the Cape of Good Hope and Anthonij Rupert wine ranges. High tea is served here in the afternoon (by reservation only). You can try the other ranges at the Terra Del Capo Tasting Room. There's an antipasto bar below the tasting room, where you can enjoy tasty tapas. The AR Merlot is exceptional: look out for mulberries, blackberries, and hints of fynbos along with fruitcake and cloves. The TDC Sangiovese is a brilliant, light drinking wine, and the Pinot Grigio is always a pleasure. Visit the estate's Franschhoek Motor Museum, home to more than 80 vintage cars in mint condition.

This early 18th-century Dorp Street home was built in traditional Cape Dutch town-house style. The all-seeing eye of God molded on its gable was designed as a talisman to watch over the owner's property and keep him and his family safe from harm.

There's a lot happening at this farm: take a guided tour of the estate's the artworks or join a hike along one of the farm's stunning trails. And then there's great wine tasting, food-and-wine pairings, and high tea; the estate's  Pierneef à La Motte restaurant  is regularly voted one of the country's best. The farm also has a wonderful collection of Jacob Hendrik Pierneef's art; view his iconic landscapes in the gallery. But don't get too sidetracked—the wine is excellent as well. The Pierneef Collection is the farm's premium range, and the Shiraz Viognier blend is being snapped up for its whiffs of dark chocolate, smoked beef, black cherry, and blackberry. The estate's Sauvignon Blanc is also outstanding.