Graaff Reniet Eastern Cape South Africa

Graaff Reniet Guide - Information about Adelaide, shops, fuel, accommodation, airport, supermarkets, banks, atm machines, car hire, hotels and other places to stay in Graaff Reinet Eastern Cape Province.

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Graaff Reinet

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Graaff Reinet Information Guide

Surrounded by the Camdeboo National Park, Graaff-Reinet, the heart of the “Great Karoo” – Place of Thirst – is a boundless and mysterious area covered by vast sheep and game farms, where broad plains roll away to distant koppies and multi layered mountains that seem to touch the indigo sky.
Listen to the silence, breathe in the aged earth and the Karoo bossies (which conjure up the taste of Karoo lamb!), and gaze at a startlingly clear horizon that seems drawn at the other end of the earth. Our clear night skies are studded with countless stars and huge bright planets; even other galaxies are visible with the naked eye, offering some of the best star gazing in the world. Fossils of some of the earliest forms of one-celled life have been discovered here, indicating that life has existed in this region for three billion years.
The richness of pre-dinosaur fossils in this region is world-renowned.

Graaff-Reinet, the fourth oldest town in South Africa, is recognized as the home of magnificent examples of Cape Dutch architecture, and over 220 heritage sites (more than any other town in South Africa!). The past is preserved in four extraordinary museums which hold collections of photographic memorabilia, firearms, artworks and fossils, tracing the story of the Karoo - and the town - from pre-history right up to the present day.
Cradled in a crook of the Sundays River, to the approaching traveler, Graaff-Reinet seems like a verdant oasis in the stark surrounding landscape, yet, practically every visitor remarks on its unique old-world character. Graaff-Reinet is the fourth oldest settlement in South Africa (after Cape Town, Stellenbosch, and Swellendam), with a higher percentage of buildings having been officially declared historical monuments than is the case for any other city in South Africa. The town has a fascinating history and the region has a most interesting pre-history, all of which are well-depicted and told in four separate museums.

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Graaff Reinet telephone code - 049 South Africa code +27
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Graaf Reinet Mountain

When “de Wiljdgelegen Colonie van Graaff-Reinet" (the far off colony of Graaff-Reinet) was established in 1786, the district covered all the territory from the Gamtoos River in the West to the Great Fish River in the East, and from the Indian Ocean to a few kilometers south of the Gariep (Orange River). This was the fourth district to be proclaimed in South Africa and resultantly received a "drostdy" or seat of local government.
Named after Cornelis Jacob van de Graaf and his wife Cornelia Reynet it is one of two towns in our country named after Dutch governors. For years it was a certain stopover for every traveler to the interior. It has experienced four changes of supreme government (including the proclamation of the so-called "Republic of Graaff-Reinet" and at times it has been the focal point of insurgence, political tension and border wars along its eastern frontier. It was visited and described by such early travelers as Barrow, Burchell, Lichtenstein and Moffat. Later in the mid-nineteenth century it was one of the starting points for the exodus of the Voortrekkers.
From the late eighteenth century right up to the arrival of the railway, a century later, Graaff-Reinet was a bustling trading center, and in 1865 there were sixty four recognized public 'outspans'. These were essential to maintain the ox wagon transport system, as places to rest, water and feed the oxen. Inns were established at many of the 'outspans' for the convenience of travelers. Today you will find a vast selection of Guesthouses, Hotels and Bed & Breakfast establishments to suit your needs.
Graaff-Reinet has long been justly renowned for its attractive and well-preserved historic homes and buildings, for which it has been widely acclaimed as the "Gem of the Karoo". Just recently this small town acquired another distinction with the proclamation of the Camdeboo National Park, making it the only town in South Africa to be surrounded by a National Park. The Camdeboo National Park is a mecca for hikers, photographers and students of flora and fauna. Included in this reserve is the famous and awe-inspiring Valley of Desolation as well as the peak Uitkyk, from which paragliding enthusiasts from all over the world come to share the thermals of the vast Karoo skies with the resident Black Eagles.
Graaff-Reinet boasts of several famous sons, including Lord Somerset, Robert Sobukwe, Beyers Naude, and Dr Anton Rupert. Robert Sobukwe’s widow still resides here, and ironically the building that once housed the Graaff-Reinet Commandos is now named after the former Pan African Congress leader.
Camdeboo National Park nestled in the horseshoe bend of the Sundays River and protected by the Sneeuberg mountains, the 200 year old town of Graaff-Reinet is the 4th oldest town in the country and steeped with history, both indigenous and settler.
Camdeboo National Park is 19, 457 ha and virtually encloses the historic rural town of Graaff-Reinet. The park includes the Valley of Desolation, a National Monument of geological and scenic significance as the premier tourist attraction, as well as the 100ha Nqweba Dam which provides water sport and angling opportunities. In addition to the CNP has 26km of graveled roads which offer unparalleled game or bird viewing; six picnic areas each with numerous sites; two trails (Eerstefontein day trail & Driekoppe overnight hike) and two walks (Gideon Scheepers & Crag Lizard 1 - 1,5 hours) and Koedoeskloof 4X4 trail, as well as the Camdeboo Environmental Education Center that can accommodate groups of 40 school children with 4 teachers.