Cape Winelands

The Cape Winelands are the wine region that begins about 50 km east of Cape Town, among the Boland mountains. The Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl valleys concentrate hundreds of wine farms, many with white manor houses with curved gables in the Cape Dutch style, open for tastings and lunch. The country's most typical grape, pinotage, was born there from a cross made at Stellenbosch University in 1925.

Stellenbosch, founded in 1679, is the country's second-oldest town, with oak-lined streets, 18th-century houses and a university that fills the center with students. Franschhoek, the 'corner of the French', was settled by Huguenots, French Protestants who arrived at the Cape from 1688; the monument and the museum tell that history. Paarl, the largest of the three, lies at the foot of huge granite domes and houses the Afrikaans Language Monument.

It was at the exit of Victor Verster prison, between Paarl and Franschhoek, that Nelson Mandela took his first steps of freedom on 11 February 1990; a statue marks the gate.

Distances are short, but public transport is scarce: the most practical options are a car with driver, an organized tour or the shuttle tours that link the estates. If you plan to taste wines, don’t drive.

This destination brings together 3 cities: Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl.