Paarl

Getting there

By car The easiest way to get there from Cape Town is by car is to follow the N1 North. Travel time is from 45 minutes up to an hour depending on traffic.

By train Metrorail runs trains from Cape Town, including the high-end Boland Business Express. Services are aimed mainly at commuters, with more trains in the morning and afternoon. Long distance Shosholoza Meyl trains between Cape Town and Johannesburg also calls here. There are several railway stations in Paarl, but the main ones for tourists are:

1 Huguenot railway station, Distillery St. Main station in Paarl, where all express and intercity trains calls. (updated Aug 2019) 2 Paarl railway station. Confusingly, this is a much smaller station in the southern suburbs. It's near the Paarl monument but not much else. Not all trains calls here. (updated Aug 2019)

By bus Long distance coach operator Intercape has connections to Paarl from several major cities in South Africa as well as one international service from Harare, in Zimbabwe. While intercity buses are relatively cheap, journey times can be grueling.

Getting around

As with most of South Africa, it is best to use a rented car.

See

1 Afrikaans Language Monument (Afrikaanse Taalmonument), ☏ +27 21 872 3441. Daily 8AM-5PM (to 8PM Sep to Apr). Unveiled in October 1975. The main 57-m column symbolises the Afrikaans language while the other columns, domes and walls represents the contribution of the European, indigenous African and Malay languages that have contributed to the development of Afrikaans. There is a restaurant at the monument and the elevated location of the monument provides good views over the Paarl Valley. Entrance: R40. (updated Aug 2019) 2 Afrikaans Language Museum (Die Afrikaanse Taalmuseum), 11 Pastorie Ave, ☏ +27 21 872-3441. M-F 9AM-4PM. Explores the origins of the Afrikaans language. Discover how Afrikaans' development was influenced by Dutch, Malay-Portuguese, French, German, English, Arabic and the indigenous Khoi and African languages. Focus is on experience with interactive exhibitions give the visitor a hands-on experience of Afrikaans, its history, its dialects and its people, including interesting place names and nicknames. This small museum is regarded as one of the leading institutions in South Africa for intangible heritage. In Oom Gideon se Winkel visitors can buy books, CDs, T-shirts with Afrikaans poems, and craft and delicacies from years gone by. Entrance: R20. (updated Aug 2019) 3 Paarl Museum, 12 Pastorie Ave, ☏ +27 21 872 2651. (updated Aug 2019) Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve, Jan Phillips Mountain Drive, ☏ +27 21 872-3658, fax: +27 21 807-8054. Daily 7AM-6PM. Fynbos landscape and wild olives dominated by massive rounded granite rock formations. The Paarl Rock. One of the world's largest granite outcrops. Die Vonds Snake Park, 104 Main Street Wellington, ☏ +27 21 869-8309. M-Sa 9:30AM-5:30PM. Snakes, monitors, tortoises and other animals and birds. F.S. Smit & Co., 10 Lyon Street, ☏ +27 21 863-1032, fax: +27 21 863-2931. Traditional wine cast manufacture with showroom. 4 Strooidak Church, 163 Main St, ☏ +27 21 872-4396, fax: +27 21 872-9370, strooid

Do

Wine related Visit one of many wine estates

Boland Kelder, ☏ +27 21 862-6190, fax: +27 21 862-5379, [email protected]. M-F 8AM-5PM, Sa 8:30AM-1PM. Cheese and wine tasting Under the Tree KWV Wine Emporium, Kohler street, ☏ +27 21 807-3007, fax: +27 21 807-3119, [email protected]. Open for wine tasting M-Sa 9AM-4:30PM. Cellar tours M-Sa 10AM, 10:15AM (in German), 10:30AM and 2:15PM. Home of some of the best wines and brandies produced in South Africa Laborie Estate, Taillefret street, ☏ +27 21 807-3390, fax: +27 21 863-1955. October to April: daily 9AM-5PM. Nederburg, Sonstraal Road, Daljosafat, ☏ +27 21 862-3104, fax: +27 21 862-4887, [email protected]. M-F 8:30AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-2PM. Rhebokskloof, ☏ +27 21 869-8386, fax: +27 21 869-8504, [email protected]. daily 9AM-5PM. Ruitersvlei, Suid-Agter Paarl Road, ☏ +27 21 863-1517, fax: +27 21 863-1443, [email protected]. M-F 8:30AM-5PM, Sa 8:30AM-3PM, Su 11AM-3PM. Simonsvlei, ☏ +27 21 863-3040, fax: +27 21 863-1240, [email protected]. M-F 8AM-6PM, Sa 8:30AM-4:30PM, Su 11AM-3PM. Offers cellar tours, wine tasting and olive tasting Mooi Bly, ☏ +27 21 868-2808, fax: +27 21 868-2808, [email protected]. on appointment only. Offers 'vine to wine' tours, takes 1½ hours.

Adventure Wineland Ballooning, ☏ +27 21 863-3192, [email protected]. Go on a hot-air balloon over the Berg River Valley

Hiking There are hiking trails in the area, ranging from short walk to multi-day trails.

Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve, ☏ +27 21 872-3658. Trails run through the reserve, ranging from 2.4 km to 10 km. Laborie Wine Hiking Trail, ☏ +27 21 708-3390. See the cape flora and birdlife on the Laborie Estate. Limietberg Trail, ☏ +27 21 871-1536. A two-day trail of 36 km. Start at the foot of the Du Toitskloof, then to Bainskloof village and on to Tweede Tol.

Other Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm, Babilonstoren Road, ☏ +27 21 863-1142, [email protected]. A crocodile farm. Try a crocodi

Buy

Red Hot Glass Studio, Seidelberg Wine Estate Suid-After Paarl Road Suider Paarl, ☏ +27 21 863-0330. Daily 9AM-5PM.

Wine. From any of the wine estates. Do a number wine tasting trips first and find out what you really enjoy. Most estates will ship to your home address so you don't have to cart the bottles around while you travel. Fairview Cheese, ☏ +27 21 863-2450. Fairview specialises in goat's milk cheeses Ikhaya, 185 Main Road, ☏ +27 21 872-5831. Arts, crafts and gifts.

Eat

There are restaurants along the Main Road, and most of the wine estates also have their own restaurants on site.

Budget At Ease Cafe, 191 Mainroad, ☏ +27 21 872-2781. Tu-Sa 11AM-late. Su 11AM-5PM. Ovenbaked pizza and pasta, homemade pies. Kostinrichting Coffee Shop, 19 Pastorielaan, ☏ +27 21 871-1353, fax: +27 872-3599. Light meals.

Mid-range Taal Monument Restaurant, ☏ +27 21 863-2800, fax: +27 21 863-1797, [email protected]. M 8:30AM-5PM, Th-Sa 8:30AM-10PM, Su 8:30AM-5PM. À la carte and Sunday buffet. Rhebokskloof, ☏ +27 21 869-8386, fax: +27 21 869-8504, [email protected]. Excellent food, excellent setting. Terra Mare Restaurant, 90a Main Street, ☏ +27 21 863-4805, [email protected]. Tu-Sa 9AM-late. Up market decor, art on walls for sale. Continental, gourmet food, choice of delicious starters, varied menu. Superb wine list. Olivier Jaeggi is a Swiss chef, who worked at the Bosmans of the Grand Roche. R45 to R120.

Splurge Bosman's at the Grande Roche, Plantasie street, ☏ +27 21 863-2727, fax: +27 21 863-2220, [email protected]. One of the top 10 restaurants in South Africa according to Wine Magazine. Superb winelist. Laborie Restaurant, Taillefer Street, ☏ +27 21 807-3095, fax: +27 21 807-3094, [email protected]. Daily 9AM-4PM. Cape Provincial Cuisine and traditional foods.

Drink & nightlife

Wine and brandy. Vi