Journal
Stories, guides and tips from the valley. A new article every week.
Why stay in Riebeek Kasteel?
Wine, olives, mountains and a real village, an hour from Cape Town. The short answer to a question we hear a lot.
An hour from Cape Town, a world away
Close enough for a weekend, far enough to feel like a real escape. How the drive works and why it matters.
Before 1661: the first people of the valley
Long before European explorers arrived, San hunters and Khoikhoi herders lived in the Riebeek Valley.
Park the car: a village you can walk
From Huis Agt you can reach restaurants, galleries, shops and the square on foot. That changes the whole feel of a holiday.
Pieter van Meerhof: the surgeon on the 1661 expedition
One of the men who first looked down on the valley later married Krotoa, one of the best-known figures of the early Cape.
Wine without the crowds
In the Riebeek Valley the tasting rooms are personal, the producers are close by, and you rarely wait for a table.
The Land of Waveren
In 1699 a governor drew a line around the Riebeek Valley and Tulbagh and gave it a name. Here is why.
Olive country: something you will not find in every wine region
The Riebeek Valley grows olives as seriously as grapes. That makes a stay here taste a little different.
The four farms of 1704
Goedgedacht, Kloovenburg, Allesverloren and Vleesbank: the first farms of the valley, and where they are today.
The joy of a slow pace
Some people find Riebeek Kasteel quiet. That is exactly what others come for.
Vlysbank: the staging post
A tailor turned farmer, cattle for passing ships and a smallpox epidemic. The story of one of the valley's first farms.
Three units, each with its own outdoor space
Why the layout of Huis Agt works so well for couples, families and friends travelling together.
Jan Botma and the pass that carries his name
Every guest arrives over the Bothmaskloof Pass. It is named after the first farmer of Kloovenburg.
Why families love the Riebeek Valley
Space, pools, farm visits and very little traffic. A holiday that works for both parents and children.
Jan Jacobsz: from enslaved man to farmer
A freed slave inherited a farm on the Berg River and later farmed Allesverloren. His story is part of the valley's.
A couples' escape in the Swartland
Long lunches, sunset drinks and quiet mornings. Why Riebeek is made for two.
Angela of Bengal and the Basson family
One of the first enslaved people at the Cape became the ancestor of a family that farmed this valley for generations.
Travelling with friends? Why Riebeek works
A village you can walk, wine farms close by and a house built for sharing. The ingredients of a good group trip.
Mossienes and Vinknes: how one valley got two villages
A sparrow's nest and a finch's nest. The old nicknames of Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West, and the church dispute behind them.
A big food scene for a small village
French brasserie, Japanese ramen, Latin grill and farm-stall breakfasts, all within reach of the house.
The many lives of De Oude Kerk
Church, church hall, builder's storeroom and finally a museum. The story of the oldest public building in the village.
An artists' village
Riebeek Kasteel has drawn painters, writers and makers for years. Here is how to meet their work.
Die Pastorie: a house for a minister
The congregation waited decades for its own minister. When he finally came in 1881, a modest house was built for him at the top of Main Street.
A base for the Swartland and the West Coast
From Riebeek you can reach the Atlantic coast, Tulbagh and the Winelands in a day. A good place to come home to.