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SSet in a curl of the Sundays River, the Great Karoo town of Graaff-Reinet is the fourth-oldest town in South Africa and has seen more than 2 centuries of travellers, adventurers and prospectors pass through its streets. Today it is a vibrant centre for tourism, game farming and traditional agriculture.
The town has been a traveller’s oasis in South Africa’s great central semi-desert, the Karoo, since it was founded in 1786. It’s a town steeped in its past, with at least 200 historical buildings, restored pre-Victorian homes in almost every street and a collection of museums and galleries celebrating its past.
Graaff-Reinet is best viewed from the heights of the Camdeboo National Park, to appreciate how it is tucked into a curve of the river. From here, you can also see the Valley of Desolation and get a good sense of the utter vastness of the Great Karoo.
This remarkable town lies on the western frontier of Eastern Cape province. It has bred many famous people, like the charismatic and eloquent founder of the Pan Africanist Congress, Robert Sobukwe, who spent most of the 1960s detained by the apartheid government on Robben Island. Another son of Graaff-Reinet was Anton Rupert, the billionaire who helped restore and rebuild the vibrant community of his home town.
Modern Graaff-Reinet is based on tourism, game farming and traditional stock like Merino sheep and ‘white gold’: angora goats, which give mohair.
Holding sway in the centre of Graaff-Reinet is the magnificent Victorian Gothic Dutch Reformed mother church, which looks a lot like England’s Salisbury Cathedral. A local farmer cut, prepared and donated all the stone for this great building.
Of interest to tipplers, military buffs and lovers of the bizarre is the Graaff-Reinet Club, which hosted the British Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards during the South African War of 1899 to 1902 (formerly known as the Second Anglo-Boer War).
The story goes that at the end of this bloody colonial war, the Guards made for the club and partied so hard the bar was riddled with bullet-holes afterwards. Nevertheless, any past or present member of the Coldstream Guards is still welcome in the Graaff-Reinet Club.
Did You Know?
TTravel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Graaff-Reinet Tourism
Tel: +27 (0)49 892 4248
Email: info@graaffreinet.co.za
How to get here
Graaff-Reinet lies on the N9 between Middelburg and Aberdeen in Eastern Cape province. It’s a 3-hour drive from Port Elizabeth on the R75, or about 7 hours from Cape Town on the N1 and R61.
Best time to visit
Late autumn (April and May) or early spring (September and October); deep winter (June to August) for the aloes and the snow.
Around the area
Nieu Bethesda village, a historical treasure trove, is less than an hour away. Aberdeen village lies 56 km to the south. Cradock and the Mountain Zebra National Park are 130 km to the east.
Tours to do
Karoo Connections will take you up to the Camdeboo National Park, on town tours and out to the Valley of Desolation
Get around
Self-drive gives you the most options for detours on a whim, but you can see most places of interest in the town itself on foot.
What will it cost?
Self-catering options, farm stays and B&Bs are relatively inexpensive, as with most accommodations in the Karoo.
Length of stay
Stay a week if you can. You will find many day-drive delights like Nieu Bethesda, Aberdeen and the Mountain Zebra National Park to the east in Cradock.
What to pack
It’s very cold in winter and can be very hot in summer, so pack clothes accordingly, and sunblock is advised even in winter, when days can be chilly but cloudless.
Where to stay
The Graaff-Reinet Tourism office can list all the options available in the area.
What to eat
You’re in red meat country here, with Karoo lamb being the specialty – although vegetarians are also welcome and catered for.
What’s happening?
The Graaff-Reinet Karoo Lus Festival, which takes place in September, is a Karoo agricultural show that attracts visitors from all over the country and abroad
Best buys
Sheep’s wool slippers for the chilly winter nights and kudu biltong for road snacks.
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