Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa, was developed from a settlement of Dutch immigrants to whom arable land on the banks of the Eerste Rivier (first river) was given. The first govenor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel, called a small island in the Eerste Rivier where he and his men had made a camp in 1679, Stellenbosch, meaning Stel's bush.
Some years later the place had developed enough for a regional administration and a magistrate's court to be established. Stellenbosch became a border town and the last outpost before the wild, uninhabited hinterland in the north-east.
Although the town was devastated more than once by catastrophic fires, a great number of historical buildings have remained and are well restored. Today, Stellenbosch is one of the best preserved towns from the founding days of the Cape Colony. In the impressive Dorp Museum in the old town centre one can visit Cape Dutch houses from different eras. One will also get familiarised with the change in the colonialists' lifestyle over the centuries. The mechanical shower in the latest house from Victorian days is unforgettable.
Nowadays, Stellenbosch has some 50,000 inhabitants and is the centre of the wealthy wine-growing area of the Cape. The town is home to one of the most famous universities of South Africa, which includes an oincological (wine-growing) department. So far the medium was exclusively Afrikaans, but now they are phasing English in.
Further information and accommodation to be found on the blue INFO page.
Top left: The "Arsenal" on Bloem Straat from 1777. Below: Historic wine estate Lanzerac. Top right: Rhenish Church. Below: Universiteit van Stellenbosch.
VIDEO: Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands
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