|
Please note that many of the documents on
this site require the Adobe
Reader.
Please click icon to download.

A Splendid Cape Journey!
Witzenberg,
a mere hour and a half’s drive away from Cape Town on Route
62, is nestled in
the Cape Winelands district and consists of five gems, namely Ceres,
Tulbagh, Wolseley,
Op-die-Berg and Prince Alfred’s Hamlet.
This
picturesque valley is not only the origin of the best of South Africa’s
deciduous fruit and wine products, but among the produce nurtured in Witzenberg
are olives, grain, beef and pork.
The offering
of things to see and do includes the historical Church Street, blockhouses and
watershed. For the outdoor
enthusiasts, Witzenberg offers hiking, 4x4, abseiling, fauna and flora, fresh
water fishing, mountain bike trails, San Rock paintings, Game and Nature
Reserves, stargazing, cherry picking in Mid-November to Mid-January and snow
during winter.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Tulbagh |
Ceres |
Wolseley |
Prince Alfred's Hamlet &
Koue Bokkeveld |
In
1699 the valley was named "Het Land van Waveren" by Governor WA
van der Stel. This scenic valley surrounded by majestic mountain
ranges can be entered by
traveling through anyone of the following
historic passes: Michells's Pass, Bainskloof or Nuwekloof.
This destination forms a perfect base for exploring the Western Cape and
Breede River Valley. Our valley has much to offer - famous wine
estates, excellent museums, good restaurants, varied accommodations to
suit all requirements, hikers and sport facilities. The valley is
famous for its vast heritage of Cape Dutch architecture, fruit farming,
forest area, breathtaking scenery and above all, peace, tranquility and
old fashioned hospitality. A valley for all seasons.
|
Ceres was established in 1849 after the completion of Michell's
Pass in
1848. It was almost impossible to reach
Ceres from the Cape - wagons actually had to be taken apart and carried over the
mountains by pack animals.
Michell's Pass was built between 1846 and 1848. The first plots were
sold a year later. The road through Ceres became the main route to
the north when diamonds were discovered in Kimberley in the late
1800's. Today the route is known as the "Forgotten
Highway" and is developing as a tourist attraction. Ceres is
home to some of the best 4x4 routes, mountain bike trails, scenic hiking
trails, abseiling, kloofing, quad biking, paragliding, game drives and
fresh water fishing - a haven for outdoor and adventure lovers. |
Subsequent to Governor WA van der Stel
naming this beautiful valley "Het Land van Waveren" in 1699,
several farms were allocated to immigrants from Europe. In 1875 the
railway line from Wellington up to the farm Goedgevonden was completed and
this point was called Ceres Road Station which served the Ceres area
through Michell's Pass and was an important link between the Cape and the
Kimberley diamond fields by means of stage coaches. The first
residential stands were offered for sale in the in the same year and in
1910 the town was named Wolseley, after Sir Garnet Wolseley, the British
governor of Natal. Wolseley is situated on a natural watershed
and the vicinity offers practically all kinds of farming, such as fruit,
vegetable, wine, olives, wheat, dairy and cattle farming. |
Through the efforts of
Johannes Cornelius Goosen, a local farmer, a small town developed here which was
named after Queen Victoria's second son who hunted in the area in 1865. If you have the time,
you'll no doubt enjoy a leisurely trip through the village of Prince
Alfred's Hamlet, up the Gydo Pass into the upland valleys of the Koue
Bokkeveld, to the proud village of Op die Berg and the estate Boplaas . The latter is the ancestral home of the well-known
Boerneef . In winter this area is often covered with a thick
blanket of snow. |
If you've traveled to Ceres
via the Nuwekloof Pass and Tulbagh, now you have the chance to go back to Cape
Town over the old Bainskloof Pass.
Even though the
road may be pretty narrow, there are few places where you can safely stop and
take pictures. 
Click
here for rainfall figures 2007
Click
here for rainfall figures 1960-2010 This
site was last updated on 20/06/2008
|