Swellendam (South Africa)

The peaceful atmosphere of Swellendam took me in, with its beautiful landscapes at the foot of the majestic Langeberg Range. The centre of the small town mixes colonial architecture and African life with its lively streets. You can admire a pretty church there and quite a few historical Cape Dutch buildings as this was the third colonial town established by the Dutch after Cape Town and Stellenbosch.

All of the monuments have been restored. Drostdy Museum is particularly well done, there you can learn everything about the life of the burgers, the farmers sent by the Netherlands to grow fruit and vegetables to send on boats from Cape Town on the Indies trade route.

I advise you to stop off in the wine growing estates in the surroundings. The wines are little known but experienced connoisseurs will tell you that they are amongst the best in the country, especially the reds as the climate there is fresh.