A Guide to Stellenbosch
- Apr 16, 2021
- 3 min read
Stellenbosch is perhaps the most disorienting place I have been to. Picture a European countryside, and then uproot that, carve out a hole in an African savannah and just leave it there. It is a mish-mash of extremes, both physically and culturally. Miles of farmland share space with African wildlife reserve savannahs pressed up against towering blocks of mountains, whose slopes fold out into neat rows of vineyards and olive farms.
Tacked within the cradle of the Western Cape, it is the embodiment of the South African wine country and a representation of Dutch settler culture. With a turbulent history as the birthplace of the apartheid policy, it remains the seat of the South African “white economy”. From its earliest origins as a small farmland village under the famous Cape Governor, Simon van der Stel (from whom the town derives its name to mean van der Stel’s forest), Stellenbosch has grown to earn its prestige as one of, if not the most famous town in South Africa.
When to go
Stellenbosch is beautiful in every season, from chilly, wet but frost-free winters, to beautiful autumns covered in oranges, reds, and yellows from all its oak tree-lined streets to breezy summers. My absolute favorite time is the nick between spring and summer, before the descent of the full wave of the tourist hoard when the weather is just right when spring flowers are still in bloom when the South African hospitality is warmest.
Where to eat
Stellenbosch boasts a diverse culinary repertoire spreading from every range of cuisine imaginable and every price point. Tailored largely to the European-decent majority inhabitants and tourists, the streets are lined with every manner of fine dining restaurant, café, boutique, fast food joints, and bar. For the pizza lovers, Holy Dough and Craft make lovely wood fire oven pizzas. Visit historical bakeries and cafes like Schoon and The Blue Crane and The Butterfly. I love the "damn good burger" at Java Bistro. For fine dining, head on over to the scattering of wine estates surrounding the town.
What to do
Go see Art! The Stellenbosch art scene is vibrant! You will not want for a feast for the eyes. Every so often, Stellenbosch hosts massive contemporary art exhibitions at international scales to show off the best that African artistry has to offer like the 2020 Stellenbosch Triennale. Watch out for them if it’s in your plans to head down.
Go to a museum or culturally interesting places like the Spier Wine Farm or visit an art gallery. Check out the Stellenbosch University Museum, SMAC or GUS. However, the streets are teeming with art, from murals to Dutch architecture.
For the plant lovers, visit the Stellenbosch Botanical Garden for some peace and quiet or some of the estates that allow tours of their gardens like the beautiful Spier Farm.
Take a wine tour of the Stellenbosch wine country for wine tasting, grape harvest, wining and dining, or a simple trip down history lane. Of course, a number of wine boutiques are popping up to engage wine lovers and beginners (insert author) on wine culture. Check out Saltare.
Sporting activities are a darling of Stellies from long hikes up the surrounding mountain ranges to biking trails and the all-famous rugby season.
Weekend activities can be divided between farm activities like farmhouse tours and fruit picking and farmer’s markets. Check out Familier at Annadale Wine Farm, Tokara Deli with its beautiful olive estate, Mooiberg strawberry pickings. Take long drives to nearby beaches like Strand and Chapermans’ peak, or picnic at the Wine Estates. Sundays offer up street market and thrifting.
Don’t miss out on the nightlife. Heavily leaning towards the student crowd from Stellenbosch University, some haunts can offer chill and classy comforts.
Where to Stay
Stellenbosch in Airbnb – bed and breakfast galore. A majority of its residents are abandoning the now primarily tourist town and renovating old cottages into tourist-appropriate housings. You will find a place to stay at any price, whether you choose to share an apartment with some college students or rent a place above a small café.
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