The Groot Karoo is a vast and desolate region that sits to the North of the Swartberg. The huge plain was once a vast inland sea of lakes and swamps inhabited by dinosaurs which roamed over the region for 125 million years until their sudden end. Most of the time this desolate land appears dull and uninteresting, but the Groot Karoo can turn green overnight after a sudden rainshower, and the plains can be filled with colour as flowers spring into life.
Matjiesfontein was founded in 1884 by the legendary James Douglas Logan. It has become well known for its splendid historical buildings and in testament the entire Village was restored in 1970 and declared a National Historic Monument. Step back in time and take a trip on an Old London Bus that does a daily tour, sip on your wine aboard an original steam train, be summoned to dinner by the sounds of trumpets playing or visit one of its two museums. Matjiesfontein is indeed a Great Country Getaway where pure relaxation is enjoyed. In addition, we have excellent facilities to cater for your wedding or conference.
Beaufort West is 480 km from Cape Town on the N1 national road. It is one of the few towns that the N1 actually runs through, so it's not unusual to see huge trucks thundering down the main street. The annual rainfall in Beaufort West is more than 150mm, which gives it the name of the Oasis town of the Karoo. Beaufort West was named after the father of the governor of the time, Lord Charles Somerset. His father was the Duke of Beaufort in England. Later Beaufort was changed to Beaufort West to avoid confusion between Fort Beaufort and Port Beaufort located in the eastern cape. The Stadtshuis was the first city hall to be built in the Karoo and sports a beautiful fagade decorated with molded plaster. The museum celebrates the achievements of its former inhabitants, the heart surgeon Christiaan Barnard and the late Minister of Foreign Affairs for South Africa, minister Eric Louw.
Total view of village Copywright: Prince Albert Tourism
Prince Albert is a delightful South African village in the Karoo, which is part of the Western Cape. Although we live in an arid region we are blessed with water from the Swartberg Mountains and the village is a little oasis. Prince Albert enjoys a superb climate, with one of the highest sunshine index and spectacular night skies. The village is a small gem, with beautifully preserved Cape Dutch, Karoo and Victorian buildings - 13 of which are National Monuments. Prince Albert is known for its sun-ripened fresh and dried fruit, especially figs and apricots. In the Prince Albert Valley , to the south of the village, farmers are restoring vineyards last farmed in the 19th century. Karoo lamb, olives, olive oil and cheese are local delicacies. The Cultural History Museum in Prince Albert depicts the history of the town and its environment. The antiques and artifacts were collected largely by Fransie Pienaar, but the collection is still growing, through donations from past and present inhabitants of Prince Albert.
Tip: Just 2kms from the foot of the awesome Swartberg Pass, Prince
Albert is the perfect base for exploring all the wonders of the
Swartberg including Gamkaskloof - "the Hell" and Meiringspoort
.JPG)
.JPG)