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Three Reasons to Explore Stellenbosch on Foot

A walking tour through Stellenbosch allows you to take in a town's sights and smells in a whole new way.

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Stellenbosch on foot

Have you ever noticed how your experience of a place gets elevated by exploring on foot? A walking tour allows you to take in a town’s sights and smells in a whole new way and is sure to etch itself into memory. This is certainly true for Stellenbosch.

A recent stay at the Southern Sun De Wagen afforded us the time to truly immerse ourselves in what the town has to offer. We wanted to approach our visit from another angle than usual – not the obvious route of culinary indulgence and wine tastings. Instead, we wanted to learn more about the town’s history, and we were told that exploring the town through Stellenbosch on Foot would be the best way to do it. So, we set off along Dorp Street toward the Moederkerk, curious about what interesting facts we were about to discover about the City of Oaks.

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1. The Moederkerk

One of Stellenbosch’s most prominent attractions is the Moederkerk  (Mother Church). While it is an impressive heritage building, we found its history even more interesting. The church’s original location was actually on the grounds where you will find the De Oude Werf Hotel today. But, during one of the town’s three devastating fires, the church burnt down, leading to its members meeting for church at the Welgevallen wine cellar for the following twelve years. The church building that catches the eye of anyone visiting Stellenbosch today, was therefore only built where it stands now, later.

Stellenbosch on foot

2. South Africa's Oldest Running Hotel

Speaking of De Oude Werf… This hotel has a rich heritage itself and has many, many stories to tell. With it being located on the original church’s piece of land, one can walk down a couple of steps just past reception and view a section of the burnt-down church’s foundations. Some of the graves in the church’s graveyard weren’t moved to the Moederkerk’s location, hence you can also see the remains of the graves here.

The hotel’s restaurant is built around an old oak – the type of tree Stellenbosch’s nickname, City of Oaks, comes from. Stellenbosch’ founder, Simon van der Stel, and his son, Willem Adriaan van der Stel planted many of the oaks in town. Therefore, there is a lot of history and traditions attached to these trees. One such tradition is that you can only become a true Matie (the name of students studying at the University of Stellenbosch, also known as Maties) if an acorn has fallen on your head.

De Oude Werf Stellenbosch on foot

3. Dorp Street

You can easily spend a full day in Dorp Street – a Stellenbosch street that has been declared a national monument since it’s the street with the longest row of heritage buildings still intact. From houses and business buildings with the most unique gables – each with its own story attached to whomever lived there – to the oldest pub in town, De Akker. Of course, there are numerous restaurants and tipple spots to explore, so we suggest that you linger a little longer after you’ve come back from your walking tour and spend some time indulging in the delightful atmosphere of a town steeped in history.

www.stellenboschonfoot.co.za
@stellenboschonfoot
Images: Renate Engelbrecht

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