Three Days in Franschhoek
Franschhoek Valley in Western Cape (South Africa) is one of the most spectacular landscapes on the planet, if you ask me. Flanked by the Huguenot Mountains and awash with mountain streams running past rolling vineyards, Franschhoek is about as picturesque as a small town can get. I moved to the village a few months ago, and I’ve never felt so blessed. The people are inviting, it’s quiet, it’s safe, I can walk everywhere, and there are even a few hip eateries springing up thanks to the enthusiastic investments of Mr. Singh (owner of Leeu House and and and). What more could a reformed urbanite ask for?
Of course, I’m not alone in my love of Franschhoek. Tourists flock to the village by the thousands in summer, and South Africans spend weekends enjoying picnics on the sunny lawns of its many wine farms. There are literally thousands of options for sleep, play, meals, and of course wine tasting.
This article is about narrowing down those thousands of options. I asked and walked around prodigiously for the purposes of this article, with the intention of discovering the Authentic Franschoek. The result of this really enjoyable research? A curated make-your-own visit which can be enjoyed time after time, by using my handy chart.
Here’s how.
Choose only one of the following venues in each category, and take the time to savor every – single – moment there. The next time you visit, choose only one again. Repeat….
Sleep – La Cotte * The Map Room * The Cottage @ Montpellier
Drink – Chamonix Wine Farm * Tuk Tuk Brewery * Living Room @ LQF
Coffee - Trebadour * The Hoek * Sacred Ground
Breakfast – Café des Arts * Café Bonbon * Boschendal Werf
Lunch - Cosecha at Noble Hill * Solms Delta OR Maison
Supper – Foliage * Ryan’s Kitchen * African Marigold
Walk – River Walk at Leeu Estate * Mont Rochelle * Berg River Dam
Relax – Bird Sanctuary * Babylonstoren Gardens * Le Franschoek Camelot Spa
Play – Franschoek Cycles * Paradise Horse Stables * Hugeonot Memorial
Sample Day:
Wake up and take in the sweeping views from my veranda at La Cotte. Rent a bike @ Franschoek Cycles and go along the back streets to The Hoek for coffee. Go up Van Riebeeck Street to sit quietly on the banks of the Patrysfontein Bird Sanctuary. Freewheel down to Café des Arts to eat breakfast listening to the lullaby of a gurgling brook. Follow the brook to the River Walk. Cycle back up an easy hill and rest at La Cotte. Wine tasting at Chamonix Wine farm. Dinner at Foliage.
P.S. This particular day requires no driving. Happiness.
If you would like to enquire about a stay in Franschhoek, please email me!