.....about Stellenbosch
Overview
With its temperate Mediterranean climate, beautiful surroundings, magnificent backdrop of mountain ranges, modern facilities and close proximity to all major places of interest in the Cape Peninsula, Stellenbosch is the ideal get-away holiday destination.
Soon after the Cape of Good Hope had been established, the newly-appointed Governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel, set out on a discovery journey east to explore the wild and untouched land beyond the Cape Peninsula. On 6 November 1679 he came across a river running through a beautifully green, fertile valley.
He named the river "Eerste Rivier" (First River) and the surrounding area "Van der Stel Bosch" (Van der Stel's bush). Before long, news of the finding of this fertile valley spread and the first families settled there in 1680. The settlement later became known as Stellenbosch, and is the second-oldest city in South Africa.
The warm summers and winter rainfall provided an ideal farming environment, and by 1682 the settlement had become an established town. In 1685 it became the seat of a magistrate, whose authority extended over 25 000 square kilometers. The first school was built in 1686, followed soon afterwards by the first church.
A yearly celebration on Simon van der Stel's birthday was held in honor of the founder. This tradition was started in 1686 and included games, parades, festivities and dances. As the celebration took place on October 14th, it was a celebration of spring at the same time.
The highlight of the celebration was when marksmen shot at a wooden parrot to win the main prize, and to this day the hill where this event took place is still known as Papegaaiberg (parrot hill). Simon van der Stel launched a project to plant oak trees and the mighty trees still line the streets of Stellenbosch.
The town is appropriately known as "Eikestad", or the Town of Oaks. Unfortunately a recent disease has affected the trees, and the towering oaks are slowly dying. Fortunately, since the oak trees are a symbol of Stellenbosch, the town council started planting new trees soon after the discovery of the disease.
In 1866, the Stellenbosch Gymnasium was founded. In 1880 it changed its name to Stellenbosch College, but was renamed in 1887 to Victoria College in honor of Queen Victoria. In 1918 the college officially became the University of Stellenbosch, known affectionately as "Maties". The University has over the years become the heart of Stellenbosch and is regarded as one of the best in the world.
History
In 1679 Simon van der Stel became the second governor of the Cape Colony, at this time the Cape Colony consisted of a fort and a few small farms clustered around the Table Bay region.
The colony had been established to provide a provisioning point for the eastward bound ships of the Dutch East India Company and Simon van der Stel felt that wine would make a welcome addition to the supplies he was charged to supply.
Expeditions were sent out to the mountain slopes and valleys inland and one night after camping in the bush along the Eerste River (First River) he announced that he would have a town built there. The town was duly established and named after his nights camp in the bush - Stellenbosch.
Every year on his birthday Simon van der Stel would preside over a fair held in his honor, in those days Stellenbosch was a rough frontier town where hunters traders and adventurers would mingle with the farmers and the celebrations included competitions of hunting and shooting, games, feasting, and no doubt a certain amount of imbibing of the local product.
The town that Simon van der Stell began is to be seen to advantage today, He had spacious streets laid out and oak trees planted along them for shade (The trees are full grown now - they had a longer view of town planning in those days).
As the years passed by, the frontier moved further inland and Stellenbosch lost the rough edges of a frontier town and the farmers became more prosperous and genteel, today central Stellenbosch contains streets of the finest examples of Cape Dutch architecture. The Stellenbosch Village museum is a group of well preserved buildings, each restored and furnished to give you a look at a different period in the history of this fascinating town.
Today Stellenbosch is at the heart of South Africa's wine producing region.
Lest you think that Stellenbosch is a dusty old display cabinet, be aware that it is also home to one of South Africa's finest universities, so parts of town have a young trendy feel with nightclubs and cafes.
Architecture
The early houses in this area were built in the Cape Dutch style, this style is unique to the Cape and is unquestionably beautiful. The style has roots in mediaeval Holland, Germany, France and Indonesia.
The early houses were single-storied. They usually consisted of three rooms in a row with steep roofs supported by rafters. Houses were generally built of local materials, thick walls were made of clay or rubble cemented with a lime-mortar, restios were used for thatching the roofs.
In 18th century, with increasing prosperity, houses began to grow larger and more ornate. They began to reflect the growing wealth and ostentation of their owners. It was then that the front gable made its appearance, the front gable is one of the most distinctive features of the mature Cape Dutch Style.
These houses were built to a symmetrical plan with a central door flanked by an even number of windows. Most houses had a central front room (voorkamer) into which the entrance led, from here doors led into the rooms on either side and sometimes to a back room (agterkamer)
Later wings were added to the wealthier homes giving rise to U-plan and H-plan designs.
Wonderful examples of these styles are to be found in and around Stellenbosch.
Irrespective of the period, all the Cape Dutch houses were painted with whitewash, which when combined with the gray of the thatched roofs and the green of the trees and vines which have been planted around many of them gives them all a particular charm and beauty.
Central Stellenbosch has many well preserved houses of this style, the majority of them are still in use, and there is a series of four buildings that have been made into a museum where you can see the furnishings and styles of different periods.
If you have an eye for architecture and history, or if you just enjoy beautiful buildings and towns, then a walk through the heart of Stellenbosch is an experience that is sure to give you great pleasure.
Historical Buildings
The Kruithuis
Built by the mason Michael Rambusch in 1777, this old powder magazine and arsenal has survived from the days when the Cape was a possession of the Dutch East India Company.
It is now a museum that has a collection of military items from the history of the Stellenbosch, including a collection of 17th century cannon.
Oom Samie se winkel
Oom Samie se winkel - (Uncle Sammies shop) has remained the same since it was first opened over 150 years ago. As you duck through the low doorways you step back in time to a period in the past.
The rooms of this frontier era general dealer are packed full of a wide variety of goods for sale, these range from tools and antiques to wine, clothing and food, a glimpse into the days when these shops had to provide all the requirements of their small communities.
Moederkerk
The original church was one of the foundations of the town of Stellenbosch, burnt down in 1710 a series of dificulties prevented the rebuilding until 1722. In 1814 the church was enlarged.
Finaly in 1863 the current church was completed. The community of Stellenbosch had been able to secure the services of the German architect Carl Otto Hagar who designed a neo-gothic masterpiece. The sheer beauty and history of this Stellenbosch landmark attract many visitors.
Village Museum
This group of four well preserved and carefully restored buildings represent examples of the housing and lives of the settlers of Stellenbosch.
The earliest of the houses dates back to the original pioneering time when Stellenbosch was a frontier town. The Last dates from the Victorian period when Stellenbosch was more established and sedate.
Wine Industry
The ideal Mediterranean climate and winter rains of the cape create the ideal conditions for the production of great wines, however past problems prevented the region from realizing its full potential, a situation that is now changing.
Wines have been grown in the Cape since the 18th century, with the industry flourishing in the 19th century with large exports to Britain, however the Anglo-Boer war and vine disease caused the collapse of the British demand for Cape wines.
The KWV co-operative was established in 1918 to bolster prices and production. This was succesefull in saving the industry financially but had a detrimental effect on the variety of cultivars grown - a lot of production was turned over to providing wine for distillation purposes.
The effect of a quota system also stifled innovation and the exploration of new vine types best suited to take advantage of the many micro-climates and soils available in the region.
In 1992 KWV lost its governing powers, and could no longer dictate the terms of the industry which led to the beginning of a greater freedom of experimentation and a focus on finer quality wines.
In 1994 South Africa became a democracy and international sanctions were lifted, allowing South African producers to export to the world. The exposure to new markets, the exchange of expertise and international experts being willing to work in South Africa has led to a steadily increasing quality and diversity of wines being produced.
Many Stellenbosch wines are receiving international recognition and acclaim. A visit to the estates in the area gives you a good chance to be among the first to discover one of the newer gems at a very reasonable price.
Present
Stellenbosch is an amazing place to be. Events and activities take place throughout the year - music, street, wine and art festivals delight both young and old. Outdoors enthusiasts can partake in hiking, mountain climbing, horse riding and cycling, while sports fans can attend international sporting events.
During the year, the estimated 17 000 students fill the town with a cheerful vibe and bustling activity in the hostels, lecture halls, restaurants, coffee shops, bars and discos. Holidays are the times when the tranquility of the natural surroundings and the comparative quiet in the streets allows Stellenbosch a chance to breathe and prepare for the influx of young people that is sure to follow with the next semester. Stellenbosch is a treasure of beautifully restored buildings - elegant Cape Dutch, Victorian and Georgian architecture can be seen particularly in historic Dorp Street, which is reminiscent of the rich and colorful past.
Stellenbosch has a bustling sidewalk café scene in the French tradition, excellent restaurants and coffee shops, modern shopping facilities and a vibrant Nightlife. A peaceful, cheerful town and its friendly people, a never-ending choice of entertainment and activities and a breathtaking valley with majestic mountains embracing it - this is what makes Stellenbosch such a special tourist and conference destination.
Several international businesses have their headquarters in this historical university town. Just outside Stellenbosch, nestled between the majestic Simonsberg, Stellenbosch, Jonkershoek, Twin Peaks and Helderberg mountains, a "clean" industry settlement has been established at Techno Park. Once a quiet little village, Techno Park has become a centre for industry, business and education, as well as the heart of the wine industry.
Text courtesy of SA Tourism
With its temperate Mediterranean climate, beautiful surroundings, magnificent backdrop of mountain ranges, modern facilities and close proximity to all major places of interest in the Cape Peninsula, Stellenbosch is the ideal get-away holiday destination.
Soon after the Cape of Good Hope had been established, the newly-appointed Governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel, set out on a discovery journey east to explore the wild and untouched land beyond the Cape Peninsula. On 6 November 1679 he came across a river running through a beautifully green, fertile valley.
He named the river "Eerste Rivier" (First River) and the surrounding area "Van der Stel Bosch" (Van der Stel's bush). Before long, news of the finding of this fertile valley spread and the first families settled there in 1680. The settlement later became known as Stellenbosch, and is the second-oldest city in South Africa.
The warm summers and winter rainfall provided an ideal farming environment, and by 1682 the settlement had become an established town. In 1685 it became the seat of a magistrate, whose authority extended over 25 000 square kilometers. The first school was built in 1686, followed soon afterwards by the first church.
A yearly celebration on Simon van der Stel's birthday was held in honor of the founder. This tradition was started in 1686 and included games, parades, festivities and dances. As the celebration took place on October 14th, it was a celebration of spring at the same time.
The highlight of the celebration was when marksmen shot at a wooden parrot to win the main prize, and to this day the hill where this event took place is still known as Papegaaiberg (parrot hill). Simon van der Stel launched a project to plant oak trees and the mighty trees still line the streets of Stellenbosch.
The town is appropriately known as "Eikestad", or the Town of Oaks. Unfortunately a recent disease has affected the trees, and the towering oaks are slowly dying. Fortunately, since the oak trees are a symbol of Stellenbosch, the town council started planting new trees soon after the discovery of the disease.
In 1866, the Stellenbosch Gymnasium was founded. In 1880 it changed its name to Stellenbosch College, but was renamed in 1887 to Victoria College in honor of Queen Victoria. In 1918 the college officially became the University of Stellenbosch, known affectionately as "Maties". The University has over the years become the heart of Stellenbosch and is regarded as one of the best in the world.
History
In 1679 Simon van der Stel became the second governor of the Cape Colony, at this time the Cape Colony consisted of a fort and a few small farms clustered around the Table Bay region.
The colony had been established to provide a provisioning point for the eastward bound ships of the Dutch East India Company and Simon van der Stel felt that wine would make a welcome addition to the supplies he was charged to supply.
Expeditions were sent out to the mountain slopes and valleys inland and one night after camping in the bush along the Eerste River (First River) he announced that he would have a town built there. The town was duly established and named after his nights camp in the bush - Stellenbosch.
Every year on his birthday Simon van der Stel would preside over a fair held in his honor, in those days Stellenbosch was a rough frontier town where hunters traders and adventurers would mingle with the farmers and the celebrations included competitions of hunting and shooting, games, feasting, and no doubt a certain amount of imbibing of the local product.
The town that Simon van der Stell began is to be seen to advantage today, He had spacious streets laid out and oak trees planted along them for shade (The trees are full grown now - they had a longer view of town planning in those days).
As the years passed by, the frontier moved further inland and Stellenbosch lost the rough edges of a frontier town and the farmers became more prosperous and genteel, today central Stellenbosch contains streets of the finest examples of Cape Dutch architecture. The Stellenbosch Village museum is a group of well preserved buildings, each restored and furnished to give you a look at a different period in the history of this fascinating town.
Today Stellenbosch is at the heart of South Africa's wine producing region.
Lest you think that Stellenbosch is a dusty old display cabinet, be aware that it is also home to one of South Africa's finest universities, so parts of town have a young trendy feel with nightclubs and cafes.
Architecture
The early houses in this area were built in the Cape Dutch style, this style is unique to the Cape and is unquestionably beautiful. The style has roots in mediaeval Holland, Germany, France and Indonesia.
The early houses were single-storied. They usually consisted of three rooms in a row with steep roofs supported by rafters. Houses were generally built of local materials, thick walls were made of clay or rubble cemented with a lime-mortar, restios were used for thatching the roofs.
In 18th century, with increasing prosperity, houses began to grow larger and more ornate. They began to reflect the growing wealth and ostentation of their owners. It was then that the front gable made its appearance, the front gable is one of the most distinctive features of the mature Cape Dutch Style.
These houses were built to a symmetrical plan with a central door flanked by an even number of windows. Most houses had a central front room (voorkamer) into which the entrance led, from here doors led into the rooms on either side and sometimes to a back room (agterkamer)
Later wings were added to the wealthier homes giving rise to U-plan and H-plan designs.
Wonderful examples of these styles are to be found in and around Stellenbosch.
Irrespective of the period, all the Cape Dutch houses were painted with whitewash, which when combined with the gray of the thatched roofs and the green of the trees and vines which have been planted around many of them gives them all a particular charm and beauty.
Central Stellenbosch has many well preserved houses of this style, the majority of them are still in use, and there is a series of four buildings that have been made into a museum where you can see the furnishings and styles of different periods.
If you have an eye for architecture and history, or if you just enjoy beautiful buildings and towns, then a walk through the heart of Stellenbosch is an experience that is sure to give you great pleasure.
Historical Buildings
The Kruithuis
Built by the mason Michael Rambusch in 1777, this old powder magazine and arsenal has survived from the days when the Cape was a possession of the Dutch East India Company.
It is now a museum that has a collection of military items from the history of the Stellenbosch, including a collection of 17th century cannon.
Oom Samie se winkel
Oom Samie se winkel - (Uncle Sammies shop) has remained the same since it was first opened over 150 years ago. As you duck through the low doorways you step back in time to a period in the past.
The rooms of this frontier era general dealer are packed full of a wide variety of goods for sale, these range from tools and antiques to wine, clothing and food, a glimpse into the days when these shops had to provide all the requirements of their small communities.
Moederkerk
The original church was one of the foundations of the town of Stellenbosch, burnt down in 1710 a series of dificulties prevented the rebuilding until 1722. In 1814 the church was enlarged.
Finaly in 1863 the current church was completed. The community of Stellenbosch had been able to secure the services of the German architect Carl Otto Hagar who designed a neo-gothic masterpiece. The sheer beauty and history of this Stellenbosch landmark attract many visitors.
Village Museum
This group of four well preserved and carefully restored buildings represent examples of the housing and lives of the settlers of Stellenbosch.
The earliest of the houses dates back to the original pioneering time when Stellenbosch was a frontier town. The Last dates from the Victorian period when Stellenbosch was more established and sedate.
Wine Industry
The ideal Mediterranean climate and winter rains of the cape create the ideal conditions for the production of great wines, however past problems prevented the region from realizing its full potential, a situation that is now changing.
Wines have been grown in the Cape since the 18th century, with the industry flourishing in the 19th century with large exports to Britain, however the Anglo-Boer war and vine disease caused the collapse of the British demand for Cape wines.
The KWV co-operative was established in 1918 to bolster prices and production. This was succesefull in saving the industry financially but had a detrimental effect on the variety of cultivars grown - a lot of production was turned over to providing wine for distillation purposes.
The effect of a quota system also stifled innovation and the exploration of new vine types best suited to take advantage of the many micro-climates and soils available in the region.
In 1992 KWV lost its governing powers, and could no longer dictate the terms of the industry which led to the beginning of a greater freedom of experimentation and a focus on finer quality wines.
In 1994 South Africa became a democracy and international sanctions were lifted, allowing South African producers to export to the world. The exposure to new markets, the exchange of expertise and international experts being willing to work in South Africa has led to a steadily increasing quality and diversity of wines being produced.
Many Stellenbosch wines are receiving international recognition and acclaim. A visit to the estates in the area gives you a good chance to be among the first to discover one of the newer gems at a very reasonable price.
Present
Stellenbosch is an amazing place to be. Events and activities take place throughout the year - music, street, wine and art festivals delight both young and old. Outdoors enthusiasts can partake in hiking, mountain climbing, horse riding and cycling, while sports fans can attend international sporting events.
During the year, the estimated 17 000 students fill the town with a cheerful vibe and bustling activity in the hostels, lecture halls, restaurants, coffee shops, bars and discos. Holidays are the times when the tranquility of the natural surroundings and the comparative quiet in the streets allows Stellenbosch a chance to breathe and prepare for the influx of young people that is sure to follow with the next semester. Stellenbosch is a treasure of beautifully restored buildings - elegant Cape Dutch, Victorian and Georgian architecture can be seen particularly in historic Dorp Street, which is reminiscent of the rich and colorful past.
Stellenbosch has a bustling sidewalk café scene in the French tradition, excellent restaurants and coffee shops, modern shopping facilities and a vibrant Nightlife. A peaceful, cheerful town and its friendly people, a never-ending choice of entertainment and activities and a breathtaking valley with majestic mountains embracing it - this is what makes Stellenbosch such a special tourist and conference destination.
Several international businesses have their headquarters in this historical university town. Just outside Stellenbosch, nestled between the majestic Simonsberg, Stellenbosch, Jonkershoek, Twin Peaks and Helderberg mountains, a "clean" industry settlement has been established at Techno Park. Once a quiet little village, Techno Park has become a centre for industry, business and education, as well as the heart of the wine industry.
Text courtesy of SA Tourism
