Paarl Off The Beaten Path

Paarl is situated in the winelands of South Africa. Its a bustling town which lies cradled in the picturesque Berg River valley, between the second largest granite outcrop in the world and the towering Du Toitskloof Mountains. Paarl prides itself on our magnificent natural scenic beauty - mountains, rivers, a rich floral kingdom, views and open spaces. This is enhanced with a unique architectural heritage which fascinates architects and tourists around the world.
Paarl, a mere 55 kilometers from Cape Town and less than an hour by car from the golden beaches of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, is renowned not only for its illustrious past and unrivaled scenic beauty, but also presents holiday makers, prospective businessmen and industrialists with exciting prospects. They would do well to re-examine the opportunities Paarl can offer them. It has the finest schools .Paarl is ideally situated for the education of children and prospective teachers in rural environment that is nonetheless within easy reach of the Peninsula. Paarl boasts a unique attraction in the fact that the foundations of a new language, Afrikaans, combined heritage of Africa and the European mother countries were laid here. The Monument to the Afrikaans language on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, the Language Museum and the Afrikaans Language Route through Dal Josaphat are living memorials to this achievement. Paarl's scenic splendor, with five mountain passes and magnificent surroundings, the Berg River majestically winding its way through and bringing life to deciduous fruit orchards and vineyards right up to the heart of the town, and luxuriant vegetation, provide sufficient incentive to pay Paarl a visit. dd to this the rich heritage of historic buildings scattered through the town, the large number of top-quality restaurants offering traditional Cape cuisine, accommodation for tourists in hotels and on farming estates, and the inevitable wine industry -.
As far as the Wine industry is concerned, Paarl boasts the headquarters of the industry in South Africa, the co-operative Wine Growers' Association (KWV) and the Paarl wine Route. The KWV is a South African institution that over the years has acquired an international reputation because of its unique achievements and its imprint of quality on the industry. Paarl is, furthermore, the venue for a number of annual events such as the Nederburg Wine Auction, the Festival of the Vine/Paarl Nouveau Wine Festival, Chrysanthemum Show, Sparkling Wine Festival - September the KWV Berg River Canoe Marathon, the Paarl Young Wine Show, Paarl College Carnival, the Boland Agricultural Show, Boland Bank Cycle Race, , the Boxing Day Sports and the annual Interschools Rugby between Paarl Boys' High and Gymnasium High School which attracts nationwide interest and rivals the spirit of an intervarsity. Other attractions include the well known Paarl Rock Brandy Cellar, the Wine Route Ostrich Farm, Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm, Butterflyworld, The Wagonmaker's Museum and much much more!