This 2.5-sq-km wine and fruit farm is on the north slope of the Simonsberg mountain between Klapmuts and Paarl. It's highlight is an 800-sq-m, formally designed garde: inspired by Cape Town’s Company’s Garden, it is an incredible undertaking. It features edible and medicinal plants, lotus ponds and espaliered quince trees, chicken coops and a maze of prickly-pear cacti. Reserve a place on one of their garden tours (10am).
Better yet, check into one of the super-chic guest rooms (from R4900), crafted from the old workers’ cottages, so that once the day visitors have left you can enjoy the gardens – not to mention the spa and pool in one of the farm’s old reservoir tanks.
There’s no need to reserve if you’d like refreshments in the tea garden with its lovely glasshouse. However, bookings are essential for the restaurant Babel (mains R140; 9am to 4pm Wednesday to Sunday), which serves delicious meals made with produce from the garden and quaffable wines that the farm has recently resumed making. The new wine cellar (of which tours are available) is a model of contemporary design with interesting exhibits related to the wine-making process. And the tasting room/deli/bakery showcases a selection of wines from estates around Simonsberg, which is said to have some of the best terroir in the Cape.
Babylonstoren has existed for over 300 years, but never used to figure on the Winelands tourism trail. All that began to change in 2007, when Babylonstoren passed to new owners with the vision to transform it into one of the region’s must-see destinations.
