Stellenbosch Walking Tour

A week after the devastating storm at the Cape, many paths and streets are still covered with foliage—from small branches to towering trees reaching 30 m. Those that lay across the roads have at least been partially chopped up and moved aside. The cleanup will take weeks, and builders have not been available since the previous Monday. Everywhere, repairs are being made: patching, hammering, and re-roofing. Nevertheless, life continues as usual, and we have the chance to return to our topic from last week: Stellenbosch, especially regarding the wines available, and to do it on foot, as we finally made the effort after years to join a guided walk through the old town. We want to share our experience with you.

Discovering Stellenbosch with Guide Juliana

Just the day before the major storm arrived, we finally set off for a guided tour through the old town—Stellenbosch's very heart. Hundreds of times, we’ve passed the numerous historic buildings, enjoying their ambiance, yet unaware of their significance or who built them.

Stellenbosch Museum

In front of the Stellenbosch Museum in the city center, we met our guide, Juliana, who explained the origin of the name Stellenbosch—it dates back to Simon van der Stel, the first governor of the Cape Colony.

He founded the second-oldest town in South Africa, Stellenbosch, in 1679, before becoming the first governor of the Cape Colony in 1691. The name translates to “(van der) Stel’s Bush”, and what made this location so appealing were the protective valley, water flow from the mountains, and the fertile soils that we still benefit from today.

The starting point of the tour was the “Schreuderhuis,” the oldest known restored town house in South Africa and part of the Stellenbosch Museum in town's heart. It gives a great insight into the life of a well-off citizen in the early 18th century.

One noticeable feature is how small the furniture is, which may lead one to think that people back then were short. In reality, the short legs of tables and chairs were due to the fact that the floor—a mix of clay and dung—was perpetually damp and deteriorated wooden furniture. Consequently, the furniture was shortened every year and ended up being quite small. During bad weather and winter months, it must have been cold and dark inside, as windows were covered with fabric instead of glass. It became evident that people also have to share their homes with rats… which can still be seen today, albeit stuffed.

From there, we moved on to various sites and houses within the small, historic downtown from the founding era. While the individual stops and stories are fascinating and diverse, they are unfortunately beyond the scope of this newsletter. Thus, here are some key facts to inspire you to explore Stellenbosch on foot.

Stellenbosch at a Glance

• Founded as an agricultural outpost to supply ships of the Dutch East India Company.
• Burned down three times yet quickly developed into the center of South Africa's grape and wine industry.
• The edible candle decoration in Bertus Basson's restaurant, Eike, is inspired by a historical custom.
• Home to ten South African "Champion Trees." One of them is a Norfolk Island Pine planted in 1826, located just 150 m from the museum on Theological Faculty grounds.
• Stellenbosch is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site as the capital of the Cape Winelands.
• It houses the Oude Werf Hotel, built in 1686, the oldest continuously operating hotel in South Africa.
• During an early expansion, the foundations of the first church of Stellenbosch, which burned down in 1710 during the first major fire, were covered. These were only recently rediscovered during the hotel kitchen renovation and can be accessed today via a staircase in the hotel's restaurant.
• Many of the historically valuable buildings are owned by the "Stellenbosch Heritage Foundation," which manages their restoration and rental.

Discover all this and much more on your next visit. We recommend Stellenbosch on Foot.