Calitzdorp is situated in the Klein Karoo in the Western Cap

Calitzdorp is situated in the Klein Karoo in the Western Cape. During the pioneering days hunting was good in the Klein Karoo and soon homesteads were built and by 1845 a community centre was established. Calitzdorp enjoys a mild climate, especially in winter, and its mineral rich spring waters are a great attraction.

Take a walk down Queen Street, the oldest street Calitzdorp, with its fine examples of Edwardian and Victorian architecture and dont miss the lovely stone church. In the adjoing church hall a team of local seamstresses has given Calitzdorp unique legacy in the form of 27 wall-hangings illustrating the gospel according to St Matthew. There is a small museum and two art galleries.

The Hennie Cloete Nature Garden offers a lovely view of the town and a one-hour walk to view many of the succulents for which Calitzdorp is famous. Further afield is the Gamkasberg Nature reserve, where the new protea Golden Mimetese was discovered. You can visit the five wine cellars on the wine route: Boplaas, Die Krans, Calitzdorp Winery , Axe Hill and Withoek, which produce a variety of red, white and dessert wines as well as the famous port for which Calitzdorp is world-renowned.

Take a drive to the spectacular Swartberg Pass, the Huisriver Pass or the Rooiberg Pass with its stunning flora and views and cairn of stones deposited by travellers to bring them a safe journey and good fortune. 27 km for Calitzdorp, a gravel road leads northwards through the Swartberg to the famous Seweweekspoort with its unique rock formation. Yet another drive worth taking is to Amalienstein, a town famous for its beautiful church and whitewashed buildings.

Accommodation in Calitzdorp

• The Retreat at Groenfontein offers accommodation in Calitzdorp, Western Cape is an old Victorian farmhouse in the lovely Groenfontein Valley conservancy, bordering on the 129.000ha Swartberg Nature Reserve and situated 20kms northeast of Calitzdorp on a scenic, winding gravel road, 59kms northwest of Oudtshoorn and 38kms southwest of the Cango Caves, both half gravel, just off the magical Route 62.
• The Port-Wine Guest House offers accommodation in Calitzdorp, Western Cape. Situated on the Scenic Route in Calitzdorp, the Port-Wine Guest House is a historical building built in 1835 and beautifully restored to its former glory. Experience the countryside and many things to see and do. There are 6 luxury en-suite bedrooms with four-poster beds, a cosy atmosphere with fireplaces in the lounge and diningroom and a full bar.
• Spekboom Cottages - Self-Catering accommodation in Calitzdorp. Renovated Nagmaal cottages offering luxury accommodation, self catering or B&B. Spekboom Cottages are situated in Calitzdorp between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. This is a perfect getaway from the city and with a variety of cottages to choose from, you will be sure to have an excellent stay. Accommodation available for 16 persons.
• Die Dorpshuis - Guesthouse accommodation in Calitzdorp. Come and have a most relaxing stay in Die Dorpshuis. Our beautifully decorated en-suite rooms are equipped with Satellite TV, with coffee/tea and home made rusks. Our accommodation includes a self-catering cottage with two rooms, to bed four people. The garden - as described by a guest - a little fairy glen is our pride. The azure blue swimming pool rounds it off.
• Welgevonden Guest House - Bed and Breakfast accommodation in Calitzdorp. Welgevonden is a charming guest house on a small Chardonnay wine farm in the heart of the Klein Karoo overlooking Calitzdorp. Calitzdorp is a corner of Kannaland (Klein Karoo) reserved for lovers of port wines, quaint old buildings and peace of mind. Welgevonden is for those who like to combine these things with warm hospitality. Reenen & Briëtte Barry offer 4 en-suite bedrooms.
• Assegaay Bosch Game Lodge offers visitors to the Little Karoo a truly unique experience in Calitzdorp. “Our business is to charter guests in our 14-seater Cessna Grand Caravan Aircraft where you can enjoy a magical scenic flight along the Southern Cape Coastline, over the majestic Outeniqua Mountain Range, to the untouched mystery of the Little Karoo and the captivating beauty of Assegaay Bosch Game Lodge. Guests are accommodated in cozy thatched lodges, which are stylish and symbolic of the natural environment. During hot summer nights relax outside on the verandah and experience magnificent sunsets. A honeymoon suite is available on request. The Private Lodges each contain en–suite bathroom, air-conditioning, self-catering kitchen, open-plan lounge, fireplace, DSTV. The loft is suited to all you “sociable weavers” at heart, and provides upmarket bedrooms for larger groups, sports teams & school outings at a relatively inexpensive rate. A restaurant and bar is available for the convenience of all guests.
• Calitzdorp Country House offers spectacular views across a fertile valley of vineyards and orchards to the majestic Swartberg Mountains beyond. Five luxurious air-conditioned bedrooms, each with its own private patio, garden and fountain, are furnished throughout with Victorian, Cape and French antiques and graced with a fabulous collection of original South- and West African paintings, carvings and bronzes. Original Oregon wood floors provide the perfect mirrored showcase for a colorful variety of Persian rugs, adding to the overall elegance. All the Italian-tiled en suite bathrooms include showers, twin washbasins on magnificent granite slabs and best of all, outsize baths that invite intimate candle-lit assignations.
• Calitzdorp Spa is the ideal resort for relaxing in our natural hot spring baths, be it for having fun, or for therapeutic relief. The views from the Spa are awesome, and there is so much for enthusiastic eco-tourists to do and see. Our large Caravan and Camping sites are well shaded with electrical power points available in the one camp. Our second camp is ideal for caravan rallies and camping groups, allowing you to laager under the shady trees. Each site has water points nearby, and our well-located ablution facilities are of a top class quality offering abundant hot water, with dishwashing and scullery facilities adjacent. We have four and six bed, fully equipped, self-catering and extremely comfortable and intimately furnished chalets. Each chalet has its own private parking and individual braai facilities. Our restaurant facilities offer you the best of both worlds. Do your own self-catering, or let us pamper you with breakfast, lunch and supper. 

Set in a fertile hollow at the eastern end of the Klein Karoo, Calitzdorp is often referred to as ‘the fruit-bowl’ of the Klein Karoo / Kannaland and produces some of the country’s finest port wines. Nowhere else is the authentic character of a typical Klein Karoo community and the region’s unique architecture better preserved than in Calitzdorp. In the spectacular mountains that surround Calitzdorp. In the spectacular mountains that surround Calitzdorp on three sides, nature too twentieth century. The area offers a fascinating diversity of flora, fauna and geological formations.

GENERAL INFORMATION

How to get there

Cape Town 400 km, George 110 km, Oudtshoorn 50 km. Altitude: 250 m above sea level. Average Rainfall: 200 mm per year. Average temperatures: summer up to 40°c; winter 15°c – 20°c. Banks: Absa (two days a week), Standard Bank. Moutains: Swartberg range to the north, Rooiberge to the south , Kleinberge to the east. Rivers: Nels River runs through the town, meets the Gamka River south of the town.

HISTORICAL VIEW

Historical Town Route

The general architecture of the central village area of Calitzdorp is English-derived, and it’s beauty is that of severe simplicity in the so-called Karoo style. Many of the older homes were built as ‘church houses’ (tuishuise) for the temporary accommodation of farmers traveling to town for church services. These tiny structures – some of them almost dolls’houses – are mostly to be found in the vicinity of the Dutch Reformed Church, a National Monument that for more than 80 years has been the main feature of the town.

Queen Street

This was most likely one of the first streets in the village, and as main street it naturally must have been the centre of activity. As the village slowly expanded, and shops moved elsewhere, the existing buildings, some of which occupied the same sites as others before them, were changed into Victorian dwellings. Most of these were the property of the Brinks and their close relatives, an influential family of the time. It is also interesting to note in passing that the first cemetery was located in the area of the present Queen’s Lodge. The beautiful poplar trees, which used to line the street, were destroyed during the violent storm in 1930. The street joined up with the ‘Road to little Jerusalem’ (Oudtshoorn) as the old road was then called because of the large number of Jews who resided in that town. On the eastern side of the street can the canal (“leivoor”), the work of the harness-maker Koos Roux (Also builder of several houses elsewhere in the village). This coincided with the construction of the historical Nelsrivier Dam between 1913 and 1918. At the instigation of Dr Jannie Nel (related by marriage to the Brinks) the street was tarred in 1943. In the name of ‘restoration’ ( a totally misunderstood term), reckless alterations are unfortunately being carried out from time to time. As a result the street, as a valuable culture historical heritage, is losing it’s specific character of authenticity at an alarming tempo. (A brochure with descriptions of the various buildings, etc. is available from the Calizdorp information office.

NATURE

Fauna & Flora

Names like Buffelsvlei and Gamkarivier (Khoi for lion) is clear evidence of the wild animals that once roamed the region. Calitzdorp has one of the highest concentrations of the Pale Chanting Goshawk (Melierax canorus; Afr Bleeksingvalk) – the only polyandrous raptor, in the southern hemisphere. Other birdlife abounds as does a great variety of butterflies. Flowering shrubs such as Wild Pomegranate, vygies (mesembrayanthemums) in all colours, lyebush, milkweed and Chinese Lantern (Dichrostachys cinerea – sickle bush - Shelter many other smaller plants and succulents including Crassulas and unusual haworthias. (The Afrikaans names for some of these plants are often more beautiful and descriptive than the English, for instance: Asbos, ganna, kapokbos, klapperbos, koesnaatjies, perdetande, skaduweetjies, bababoutjies, hoenderspore, pypskoonmakers etc.)

Gamkaberg Nature Reserve

One of the most endangered large mammals, the Cape Mountain Zebra (fewer than 800), is conserved in this reserve.

ATTRACTIONS

Annual Events

Calitzdorp Port Festival – June

Half Marathon and Mountain Bike Race – June (during Port Festival).

Arts & Crafts Dutch Reformed Church Hall

Twenty seven appliqué tapestries

Eljo Potgieter

For weaving and spinning

Green Cow Curios

Hoendertand Art Gallery

For collectables and designer crafts

Laventellaai

Curios, Flowers and gifts

Oude Huis Gallery

Calitzdorp Spa

The resort with it’s healing hot mineral waters in located outside town

Scenic Drives

Seweekspoort - 27 km towards Ladismith

Groenfontein & Kruisrivier

Mountain splendour and regional architecture along 50 km circular route

Matjiesvlei

Secluded farms among aloe-cladhilld (16 km).

Opsoek / Amalienstein / Zoar

Historic mission stations (27 KM).

Calitzdorp Wine Cellars

Calitzdorp boasta three well known wine cellars

Boplaas Estate

Champion producer of the Southern Cape Bottled Wine Show for seven years and the Klein Karoo Young Wine Show ’96. Boplaas is a family enterprise. Carel Nel, who is also a Cape winemaster, controls the general management and winemaking. Ports are the flagship wines of Boplaas. In 1986 and 1987 Boplaas Ports were crowned as South African Champion, the 1988 – South African Airways Champion, and the 1989 – one of the top 150 wines of the world. More than 50 Gold Medals were won in the last 10 years. The Ruiterbosch vineyards overlooking the Indian Ocean, near Mossel Bay, produce quality grapes under optimum climatic conditions. The Chardonnay was awarded the trophy for the best Hamburg, Germany. Boplaas Estate is also the first estate to produce a 100 %. Potstill Brandy. Other wines from the estate include Sauvignon, Blanc, Blanc de Noir, Cabernet, Late Harvest, Sweet Hanepoot, Muscadel, and sparkling wines. The estate is open for wine tasting and sales weekdays.

Calitzdorp Wine Cellar

The last couple of years Calitzdorp Wine Cellar has been making rapid progress. Through the initiative of winemaker, Alwyn Burger, various improvements have been made and more modern winemaking practices have been introduced. As a result wines of true quality are produced. New cultivars, such as Touriga National and Tinta Barocca, have been cultivated for the making of Port wine. A remarkable Sauvignon Blanc with great potential is part of the cellar’s new range. Other wines that are available include a popular Grand Vin Rouge, Vin Blanc and Red Muscadel. During visits to the cellar guests can taste the fine wines while relaxing on a big stoep with panoramic views of the Gamka Valley. Light meals are available during the holiday season.

Die Krans Estate

Champion estate of the Klein Karoo. Die Krans Estate is the oldest estate wine cellar in the Klein Karoo, with brothers Boets and Stroebel Nel as winemakers. A wide range of quality wines is made here according to the most advanced techniques. The flagship wine of this estate is port, which has already won more than 70 medals at wine shows. The Vintage Reserve Port is considered to be one of the three best ports in South Africa by wine critics like John Platter. Die Krans Estate has won more than 400 medals and awards for it’s wines and was the Champion Estate of the region 6 times. Wines of the estate include Chardonnay, Late Harvest and Pinotage. Cabernet Sauvignon and white muscadel Jerepigo, overall champion wine of the Klein Karoo in 1995, as well as a selection of ports. Free wine tasting, guided cellar tours and donkey cart rides are offered to visitors, as well as a vineyard routes, a 30 minutes walk through the vineyards. The estate is open from 08:00 – 17:00 Monday to Friday and 09:00 – 16:00 on Saturdays.

Mountain Passes

Huisrivier (west), Rooiberg (16 km south), Swartbergpas (60 km north via Groenfontein

and Kruisrivier).

ACTIVITIES

4X4 Routes – at Groenfontein and Gamkasberg

Hiking

Gamkaberg Nature Reserve. Six trails ranging from 20 minutes to two days

Gamkaskloof / Die Hel via Matjiesvlei

Permit Required

Groenfontein

Unofficial two days

Hennie Cloete Nature Garden

One hour route

Swartberg

Permit Required. One to five days circular route.

Accommodation in and around Retreat