The Republic of Swellendam? Why Swellendam? And why a Republic? Yes, indeed. I wanted to do some wine tasting and visit some vineyards. But doing it from Cape Town meant a day away from the Mother city. And with so much to do and see in Cape Town, I didn’t want to use our wine tasting time there. We were also heading to Stilbaai to spend time with my aunt and uncle, and I didn’t want to spend hours and hours in the car. So, my solution was to find a wine district between Cape Town and Stilbaai. The Robertson Valley seemed perfect – a wine and cheese area…my favourite combination!
Our Visit to Swellenndam
We arrived in Swellendam early evening after driving over 200km from Cape Town. The country town of only 28,000 was unwinding and one could sense the pace had slowed from the hustle and bustle of the day. The main road is wide, which seems to be a trait of country towns here in South Africa and I remember this from Australia too.
The architecture is so typical of the Cape and a style that developed with the arrival of the Dutch settlers. This unique Cape Dutch style puts the town back in the 1700s. Very pretty and leafy!
Why a Republic?
Originally the town got its name from its first governor, Hendrick Swellengrebel and his wife, Helena Ten Damme, thus Swellendam (Ah, very sweet). After years of bad administration, the people of this gateway community rebelled against the Dutch East India Company and its governor. In 1795 they declared themselves a republic under their own president Hermanus Steyn. (Technically, he was the first South African president). But, when the British arrived in the Cape the republic was squashed.
British settlers crossed the mountains and settled in the Overberg, creating a boom in the district of Swellendam. The town flourished, and became a central trading post, as well as a refreshment stopover for those venturing further inland or up the Cape coast.
This sleepy town was to be our stopover too, and we settled in for our two nights in quaint Swellendam.
(Written on 14th March 2012)
Visit the Swellendam Experience Facebook Page for more local information about Swellendam.
