TRAVEL TO SWELLENDAM

Travel to Swellendam and visit one of the oldest and most historic towns of the Western Cape in South Africa. It is a picturesque little village, at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains, along the Cornlands River. The town of Swellendam is set further inland, about 2 hours from the coast, but a well worth visit that cannot be ignored. Swellendam is set in the heart of the Western Cape tourism route, and provides an enjoyable afternoon or two. It is a gracious, warm and friendly town, opening it's heart to many visitors throughout the year.

This historic town got it's name from a former govenor of the Cape province, Hendrik Swellengrebel.

The town of Swellendam is filled with many historical buildings, dating and telling the history of South Africa in the early 1800's. When walking through the heart of the old town, there is the “Oefeningshuis”, which was built in 1838 as a church for th education of freed slaves. Another historical building just across the road is the quaint shop built by Buirski and Co around 1880.

When you travel to Swellendam, you can also also visit the attractive little church of St Luke, the Dutch Reformed Church and the rows of all the old historical houses that people lived in many years ago. You can also view the church square, where many farmers used to outspan their wagons when they moved into town at times when there was communion in the church. Eventually, little simple houses, called “townhouses” were built for them, so that they did not have to stay in their wagons. The building was called “The Cottage”.

There is also the Auld House, which was used as a dominant commercial enterprise of the Overberg region, for half the century. The Auld House went as far as issuing it's own bank notes.

Another must see in the town of Swellendam is the Swellendam jail, the home of the jailer, the Drostdy Museum, and the trades yard.

The town of Swellendam really makes a person travel back in time to the early 19th century, with it's cultural buildings and beautiful countryside. The town is still a small little town, with no robots, only stop streets, and slow moving traffic. Farmers still travel in and out of town from nearby farms.

Even though the town has recently been equipped with more modern shops, guest houses and restaurants for those taking a special travel trip to Swellendam, the historical culture of Swellendam has never changed. A visit to the Western Cape would not be complete without traveling to Swellendam, where the old Cape Dutch and Pioneer cultures of years gone by comes to live as you step back in time.