Stellenbosch walking tour & city guide

The town

Dorp Street has one of the longest rows of historic buildings in the country. The Braak, the old village green, is surrounded by churches and museums. The Village Museum shows houses from different eras.

Wine

Hundreds of wine estates surround the town, many in historic Cape Dutch farmhouses with mountain views. Nearby Franschhoek is known for its food and French heritage.

A day in Stellenbosch

Walk under the oak trees of Dorp Street, lined with whitewashed Cape Dutch houses, and visit the Village Museum, which shows four houses from different periods. The town has many galleries and cafés.

In the afternoon, visit wine estates in the valleys around the town, many with beautiful gardens and mountain views.

Good to know

Stellenbosch is about 45 minutes from Cape Town. The wine route has more than 150 estates.

The university gives the town a young atmosphere.

Why it is worth the trip

Stellenbosch, founded in 1679, is South Africa's second-oldest European settlement and is known as the City of Oaks for the trees planted by its early governor. Its historic center has some of the best Cape Dutch architecture in the country, with gabled white houses and thatched roofs. The university, the oldest Afrikaans-language university, gives the town a young energy, and its cafés and restaurants are always busy. The Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, just outside town, has hiking trails and waterfalls among the mountains.