The northern Winelands of Paarl, Wellington and Tulbagh offer picturesque Cape Dutch historic centres surrounded by wine estates and lovely mountain backdrops.
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The northern Winelands are the quiet achievers of the Cape—think pearl-like granite domes, restored Cape Dutch villages, and wine estates that locals wish would stay secret. Whether you’re meandering along the historic Main Street of Paarl, soaking up Wellington’s country calm, or strolling down Tulbagh’s picture-perfect Church Street, there’s always another wine estate, quirky museum, or mountain view just around the corner.
Many Cape Winelands hotels, such as Babylonstoren and Hawksmoor House, lie in the countryside of the northern Winelands.
Paarl is the largest town in the Cape Winelands with a beautiful, long, Main Street lined with oak trees and original Cape Dutch houses. The round granite domes, which tower above the town, glisten in the sun like pearls. Paarl is the Afrikaans name for a pearl.
The KWV Wine Cellars is still the largest exporter of wine and the tours of the vast cellars (covering some 22ha) are worth a visit. The famous Cathedral Cellar with its barrel-vaulted roofs features carved red wine vats depicting the Cape’s winemaking history.
Fun Fact - Paarl’s granite domes are the largest in the world outside Gibraltar.
On the edge of the Cape Winelands is the pretty village of Tulbagh. The backstory here is that an earthquake rocked Tulbagh back in 1969. This disaster gave Tulbagh the chance to restore many houses to their original Cape Dutch appearance - definitely not the norm in 1960’s town planning anywhere in the world! Now Church Street is one of the most complete Cape Dutch streets in South Africa with 32 being National Monuments
From nearby Ceres there is a very scenic mountain pass road which connects with the Cederberg mountains to the north. From here you can easily continue onto Mount Ceder, Kromriver or Cederberg Ridge. (You can also enjoy the Ceres Zipline adventure activity.
Ready to explore the Northern Winelands? Let Cedarberg Africa tailor your perfect wine escape—just ask for our favourite hotels and hidden gems
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