Stellenbosch Things to Do

There are plenty of wineries in the area around Stellenbosch, which lies within South Africa's main wine-producing region. Many of the wineries offer tastings to tourists. Some also have restaurants and tours.

We chose to visit the Spier Winery not because of its wine (which was good), but because it is fun for kids (we had our 8-year daughter and her 7-year old friend with us). In addition to a nice tasting room and restaurant, Spier also has a cheetah exhibit, that the kids loved. Also, there was a space in the tasting room where the kids could color and read while the parents tasted wine. The kid-friendly touches really made Spier a fun experience for the whole family.

As for the wine, they had a good selection of whites and reds. We had a couple of each (except for the designated driver) and found them to be good. The tasting room was well-appointed and comfortable, with friendly bartenders (or whatever they call the guys pouring the wine).

If you want to stay overnight, the winery also has a sizable hotel attached to it, which also includes conference facilities.

The Stellenbosch Village Museum is a group of four carefully restored and furnished buildings representing the major stylistic periods of the previous three centuries. Here one can move through these time periods in a matter of minutes, experiencing fascinating architecture, and getting a glimpse of life in the early development of the Cape.

1. Schreuderhuis (ca. 1709)
A pioneer dwelling which survived the first great fire, and is furnished to represent the period 1690 - 1720.

2. Blettermanhuis (ca. 1789)
A magnificent H-plan Cape house decorated with six gables, typical of the period 1760 - 1790.

3. Grosvenor House (ca. 1803)
Outstanding example of a double-storeyed flat-roofed Cape house in the neo-classical style, reflecting the period 1800 - 1830.

4. O.M. Berghhuis (ca. 1850)
A gabled dwelling like Blettermanhuis, which became a double-storey in the late 19th century. The cluttered interior is typical of the Victorian era between 1840 and 1870.

Open: Mon - Sat and public holidays: 09:30 - 17:00
Sundays and religious holidays: 14:00 - 17:00
Closed: Good Friday and Christmas Day

Entrance fee payable.

The Stellenbosch Village Museum is a group of four carefully restored and furnished buildings representing the major stylistic periods of the previous three centuries.

1. Schreuderhuis (ca. 1709)
On the very first drawing of Stellenbosch (1710) the front part of this house is already mentioned. The house is small, with an open fire in the kitchen and primitive Cape furniture. A contradiction with the other 3 houses!

2. Blettermanhuis (ca. 1789)
A large typical Cape-Dutch house, built by Hendrik Lodewyk Bletterman in the 18th century. It has some fabulous furniture inside, typical for a rich Stellenbosch house from that period.

3. Grosvenor House (ca. 1803)
A two story flat-roofed Cape-Dutch house, one of the most beautiful examples of this kind of patrician house in South Africa. Again beautiful furniture in 1800-1830 style.

4. O.M. Berghhuis (ca. 1850)
Another example of a rich-man's house in the 19th century. The cluttered interior is typical of the Victorian era between 1840 and 1870.

4 more images

There are quite a few hiking trails in this reserve, they range from an easy 5,3 km scenic walk to the challenging 17.1 km Panorama Trail and the 18 km Swartboskloof Trail. We usually just take a relaxing hike to the second waterfall where you can just chill or have a dip in the icy mountain pools (only recommended during summer...)!

Entry is about US$4 per person and you pay extra if you take a car inside.

There are also mountain bikes for hire and you can just take a scenic ride around the Reserve or go off the main road (for the adventurer).

There are also a braai area where you can have your own South African braai in the Nature Reserve.

For more about Jonkershoek Flyfishing (best during winter) go to http://www.jonkershoek.com/

Towards the end of January the University students come back to Stellenbosch and mark the start of the new year with a Carnival which generates money for their community service. This usually occurs on the first week of February (check the University website to be sure www.sun.ac.za) and really only starts on the Thursday evening with an event called 'Vensters'. Every men's rez (a university hostel) teams up with a girls' rez and performs a rehearsed show full of dancing and joking. Even though these shows are in Afrikaans, it is still worth a look! The excitement in the air is really tangible!

On the Saturday morning, a variety of floats made by the different rez's are paraded around town. Be sure to find a spot along Bird Street (only the one half, you'll be able to tell which half...), since people goes to town very early to ensure a nice spot. Afterwards, some local talent performs on the 'braak' which is situated in Bird Street. This usually costs about R15 to see and is definitely worth while!

Stellenbosch University is South Africa's oldest university and is situated in the centre of the town. With almost 20 000 students there is a guaranteed buzz on campus during the term. During December, January and also June/July campus is a ghost town when the students take a break from studying and go home.

On a map, I will suggest that the best bits of campus to walk around, is in the bounds between Victoria Street (one of the most beautiful streets in town!), Merriman, Cluver and Ryneveld Street. Another beautiful building is the Theology building which is out of the above mentioned block on Dorp Street.

For more information on Stellenbosch University, visit their website. Since it is an Afrikaans university, this website is initially in Afrikaans, but if you look at the top right side you can choose the option to view the website in English.

For some University gear such as T-shirst, wine coolers, etc, visit the Matie Shop in the Neelsie Student Centre at the centre of campus.

This is my favourate SA festival of all! Unfortunately it only happens once every year at the end of April. It all happens at Bien donne, Franschoek, about a 30 min drive away.

Here, you will find the biggest variety of SA wines and cheeses and other items from olives to goatsmilk fudge! It is an outdoor festival, so be sure to check the weather forecast to help you decide which day to attend. There is a limited amount of tickets, all available from CompuTicket at R75 (10 US$) per person. There is also a list of tips on the cheese festival website (given below). So if you are currently visiting SA, you simply have to go have a look!!!

There are a number of small wineries around Franschoek. Stony Brook, Boschendal, Cabriere Estate, and others. See http://travelenvoy.com/wine/southafrica_franschoek.htm for links and email addresses.

The wine here is reasonable in price and the quality is good.