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Village Museum
A group of exquisitely restored and period-furnished houses dating from 1709 to 1850 make up this museum, which occupies the entire city block bounded by Ryneveld, Plein, Drostdy and Church Sts and is a must-see. Also included are charming gardens and, on the other side of Drostdy
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Chelmsford Nature Reserve
The turn-off to Chelmsford Nature Reserve is off the N11 (turn-off is 7km to the gate) and 25km south of Newcastle. As well as fishing and spring wildflowers, there’s a beautiful wildlife reserve with the highest concentration of the endangered oribi species in South Africa. Game d
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Van Der Merwe Miszewski
Winning prizes for its work is architectural practice Van der Merwe Miszewski ; its Tree House was voted best building in South Africa in an opinion poll organised by the South African Institute for Architects. The practice’s offices are based in one of the more unusual and beautif
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Old Courthouse Museum
Found in the beautiful 1866 courthouse behind City Hall, this museum offers a worthwhile insight into the highs and lows of colonial living. Theres also a moving exhibit on the sadly brief life of journalist Nathaniel (Nat) Wakasa, as well as a collection of model ships that kids (
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I Art Woodstock
The sketchy grid of streets off Albert Rd is a canvas for some amazing street art, much of it created during a collaborative project between a word of art (www.a-word-of-art.co.za) and Adidas Originals in 2011. More pieces have been added since such as Raised By Wolves by Nardstar,
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Constantia Valley Wine Route
South Africa’s wine-farming industry began here back in 1685 when Governor Simon van der Stel chose the area for its wine-growing potential and named his farm Constantia. After Van der Stel’s death in 1712 his 763-hectare estate was split up and the area is now the location for thi
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Backsberg
Backsberg is a hugely popular estate thanks to its reliable label and lavish outdoor lunches – book ahead for the Sunday lamb spit braai (R225). This was South Africa’s first carbon-neutral wine farm and its wines include the easy-drinking Tread Lightly range, packaged in lightweig
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Hluleka Nature Reserve
The Hluleka Nature Reserve is midway between Coffee Bay and Port St Johns. A spectacular coastline of rocky seashores and lagoons, as well as evergreen forests and grassy hilltops make this reserve appealing, particularly for its abundant bird life. Burchell’s zebras, blesboks and
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Oude Kerk Volksmuseum
This museum made up of four buildings is worth a pause. Start at No 4, which has a photographic history of Church St, covering the earthquake and reconstruction; visit the beautiful Oude Kerk itself (1743); move to No 14, featuring Victorian furnishings; and end at No 22, a reconst
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Robinson Dry Dock
One of the Waterfronts most fascinating sights is this large dry dock, opened in 1882 and still used to repair ships today. Named after Governor Sir Hercules Robinson, it was used to repair over 300 ships during WWII. The Pump House next to it (now housing a comedy club and food ma
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Breakwater Prison
Today its Cape Towns Graduate School of Business, but in the past this complex housed thousands of prisoners whose hard labour helped build the V&A harbour. Look out for graffiti carved by convicts in an old slate wall beside the solitary confinement prison cells, and for the e
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Auwal Mosque
Built in 1789, this is the oldest place of Islamic worship in South Africa, established by Iman Abdullah Kadi Salaam, an Indonesian prince who served time on Robben Island where he wrote three copies of the Koran from memory. The mosque is closed to visitors, but is accessible on a
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University of the Witwatersrand
More commonly known as Wits (pronounced ‘vits’) University, this place dominates the quiet suburb of Braamfontein. It’s is the largest English-language university in the country, with more than 20,000 students. Worth a visit here is the Gertrude Posel Gallery , and Jan Smuts House
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Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park
Together with Mozambique’s Limpopo National Park and Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou National Park, Kruger forms part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park – a vast area that ultimately will encompass 35,000 sq km. Gonarezhou connections are still in the future, but Kruger and Limpopo are
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Birch’s Gentlemen’s Outfitters
Birch’s is one of a number of historic shopfronts overlooking Church Sq. It has a marvellously old-fashioned ‘slider’ (a pulley system that sends money and change across the ceiling to and from the central till) and a vacuum pipe system used to send notes between floors. Staff will
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Big Tree
Just east of Storms River on the other side of the N2 is the Big Tree, a 36m-high yellow-wood that’s over 1000 years old, and a forest with many fine examples of candlewood, stinkwood and assegai. The 4.2km Ratel Trail begins here, with signs describing the trees in this forest, on
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Bezalel
Possibly the most varied tasting of any estate in the country, with samples of wine, port, brandy, various cream-based liqueurs and the challenge of swigging mampoer (moonshine) without grimacing. There’s a restaurant and a leafy courtyard where you can enjoy your chosen tipple. It
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Wilson’s Wharf
This once-hip waterside development is now a little tired, but it’s the best place to get a view of Durban’s harbour and its activities. The harbour is the busiest in Southern Africa (and the ninth busiest in the world). The wharf has a clutch of eateries, boat-charter outfits, sho
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Spirit of eMakhosini Monument
On R34 and 2km north of Mgungundlovu, signs point west to Spirit of eMakhosini monument, which is perched on a hill. It comprises a massive bronze Zulu beer pot, surrounded by 18 bronze reliefs depicting Zulu life, and seven large horns symbolising the seven kings buried in the val
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Eye of Kuruman
The town’s famed natural spring is in the park between the tourist office and Palmgate Centre. Discovered in 1801, the prolific spring produces about 20 million litres of water a day – without fail. The park is a pleasant enough spot for a picnic, with trees ringing the clear pond,
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