Stellenbosch, University town in Western Cape, South Africa
Stellenbosch is a university town in Western Cape province in South Africa, located about 50 kilometers east of Cape Town in the Eerste River valley. The streets run between the mountains to the east and wide vineyards, while the center sits under the shade of tall oaks.
In 1679 Governor Simon van der Stel founded this settlement, making it the second oldest European town in southern Africa after Cape Town. The university grew in 1918 from the former Victoria College and turned the place into a center of academic learning in the region.
The town takes its name from Governor Simon van der Stel and still keeps a village feel despite its large student population. Under the old oaks along Dorp Street you will meet locals shopping, drinking coffee in small cafés or walking to the market every day.
The Mediterranean climate brings warm dry summers and mild wet winters, with the best visiting months falling between September and April. Walking works best in the compact center, where many shops and restaurants sit close together.
The center holds over 50 well kept houses in Cape Dutch style from the 18th and 19th centuries, with white gables and thatched roofs. Many of these old buildings now serve as shops, museums or guesthouses and make a walk through the old quarter feel like a journey back in time.
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