a walk around stellenbosch

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Stellenbosch is timeless. It feels like a time capsule, preserved from centuries past and yet so pristine it feels ripe for the present. Walking through the picturesque streets in mild Mediterranean climate, it felt like it could be California.

Perhaps it’s the whitewashed walls or the quaint shops and restaurants or the mountains on the horizon or the college students that reminded me of State Street in Santa Barbara

Of course, it’s much older than most towns in California. The second oldest European settlement in South Africa, Stellenbosch was established in 1679 by Simon van der Stel, who named the town after himself and his trees. The thriving oaks that canopy the streets. The legacy lives on with the iconic Cape Dutch architecture, ornate gables and whitewashed walls blend harmoniously with classic Georgian and Victorian houses. A thriving, charming town in the heart of South African wine country.

Today, the streets are filled with cafes and shops and restaurants and churches. In some ways it is a university town, home to one of the oldest universities in the country. A certain young energy added to the laid back atmosphere and historical context. In other ways it’s a tourist destination. A beautiful place that people flock to for its fertile valleys and rolling hills filled with vineyards and villas, old world charm and quiet grandeur.

A sense of quiet, peacefulness on a weekend. The kind you get in a commuter school town. Or an off season tourist hub.

I was only in Stellenbosch briefly. A stop on the way over to Babylonstoren. Even just a few hours wandering these streets on a sunny day compelled me to slow down. To admire the architecture. To soak up the sun at a table outside. To be enveloped in the timeless present and forget about the world beyond.

I hope to come back again some time and linger a bit longer.

a walk around stellenbosch

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