Western Cape Article - South African Vacations

HISTORY AND ARCHITECTUREBuildings: The town is full of old buildings, some pre-dating the 1890s, which adds to the oldworldatmosphere. Unfortunately, none of these buildings have been renovated and many aretoday used as storerooms and outbuildings.Historic Trail: Sir Lowry’s Pass also has a historic trail. This trail takes one through the‘Gantouw Pass’ where one can clearly see the ruts left in the road by wagons and canonsused in earlier days for signalling. The wagon-wheel tracks have been proclaimed a nationalmonument.FAUNA ND FLORAWild flowers: The mountain slopes near the village are covered in wild flowers, an attractiveframe for the historical tableau that is the village.SOMERSET WESTThis town, named after Lord Charles Somerset in 1819, lies at the foot of the Hottentots-Holland Mountains. In 1850, inhabitants added the “west” to the town to distinguish it fromSomerset East in the Eastern Cape Province. The historic buildings tell the story of the town’sdevelopment with eloquence. Over Christmas, Somerset West’s Main Street is transformedinto a fairy-tale spectacle when Christmas lights are strung across it. People come from farand wide to see them and to browse around the night-time street market.ADVENTURE AND SPORTGolf: Take on the challenge of the championship Erinvale Golf Course and savour theaccomplishment. This golf course was designed by Gary Player and hosted the 1996 WorldCup Golf Tournament.Helderberg Nature Reserve: Altitudes in the reserve vary from 80 to over 1 000 m above sealevel. Several graded walking trails have been mapped out, ranging from a gentle amblethrough the lower reaches to longer and higher ones posing more of a challenge.73