Some 5km west of Greyton is Genadendal, the oldest mission station in South Africa, founded in 1738 and for a brief time the largest settlement in the colony after Cape Town. It now has a population of around 5000. The Moravian Church is a handsome, simply decorated building. The village’s fascinating history is documented in the excellent Mission Museum , situated in what was South Africa’s first teacher-training college.
The village has a 'living museum' feel. As you wander you'll find one of the oldest printing presses in the country, a pottery workshop and a watermill among the many restored historical buildings. In 1995 Nelson Mandela renamed his official residence in Cape Town after this mission station. To get to the cluster of national monuments from Rte 406, keep driving through the rather scruffy outskirts until you arrive at Church Sq.
