Name: Franschhoek
FRANCHHOEK
Nestled between towering mountains in the beautiful Cape winelands lies the magnificent Franschhoek Valley. This is the food and wine heartland of the country, where splendid wines are grown and top chefs create international cuisine. This is the beautiful Franschhoek Valley in the heart of the Cape Winelands.
Spectacular vineyards cover these mountain slopes settled 300 years ago by the Huguenots, who brought with them their age-old French wine and food culture. This is a valley rich in history centered around a picturesque village of friendly, welcoming people.
In the village you will find wonderful crafts, art and antique shops and galleries. The main streets are lined with coffee shops and restaurants. Only 45 minutes from Cape Town - come and enjoy the gourmet capital of South Africa. Let Franschhoek be your base while you explore this exceptionally beautiful region.
After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in France in 1685, when Protestantism was outlawed, hundreds of so-called Huguenots fled their homeland, 277 of them arriving by ship at the Cape of Good Hope. Many of them were given land by the Dutch government in a valley called Oliphantshoek (Elephant Corner) - so named because of the vast herds of elephants that roamed the area. Soon after they settled here, it become known as Franschhoek (French Corner).
This heritage lives on today with the Huguenot monument standing proudly at the top of the village. The museum nearby chronicles the history of those brave pioneers, with each of the original Huguenot farms having its own fascinating story to tell.
Google count: 29,100 for Franschoek &
248,000 for Franschhoek!
Date: 28 September 2009
Historic fact:
Railway station: http://www.sa-transport.co.za/trains/sa_stations/w-cape_2.html
Other interesting info:
http://www.franschhoek.org.za/
Where to stay:
Monday, September 28, 2009
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