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IInland from the Cape’s famous Garden Route, over breathtakingly beautiful mountain passes, magnificent red rocks and the wide open spaces of the Klein Karoo, you’ll find Oudtshoorn – once known internationally as the ostrich capital of the world. Royalty, emperors, maharajahs and high society once adorned themselves with the world’s finest feathers.
Most visitors to South Africa have heard of the Cape’s famous Garden Route, but many are unaware of the Klein Karoo – the vast area of striking, beautiful semi-desert that stretches inland beyond the spectacular Outeniqua Mountain Pass from George.
Did You Know?
TThe Rietfontein Ostrich Palace, the first ostrich farm in the Cape Colony, was established in 1897.
IIn the heart of the Klein Karoo is its attractive capital town of Oudtshoorn, once the ostrich centre of the world. Today, this town enjoys a reputation as a tourist centre for a variety of reasons. Within 30km of the town, there are several interesting attractions, including the world-famous Cango Caves, one of the world's leading show caves (be sure to book ahead for a tour).
AAlso within a 35km drive of Oudtshoorn is the historical village of De Rust at the foot of the Swartberg Mountains, with a beautiful tree-lined main road, featuring many 19th-century buildings. For those who enjoy road-tripping, there are two scenic drives also within easy distance of Oudtshoorn.
Foremost among these is the Swartberg Pass, with its switchback twists and turns, and dramatic mountain views en route to the town of Prince Albert. This famous pass was the last to be built by the respected 19th-century road engineer, Thomas Bain, and is regarded as his finest work.
The other route between the Klein Karoo and the Great Karoo is via the 25km Meiringspoort, a road that weaves its way through the steep-walled, sandstone layers of the Cape Fold Mountains, crossing the Groot River, whose path it tracks, 25 times. Oudtshoorn's other claim to fame is that once a year it is the centre of the largest Afrikaans language arts festival in the country, known as the KOudtshoorn and surrounds, Western CapeKNK (Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees), usually held around Easter when actors, artists, musicians and poets descend on the town to celebrate this unique language.
Oudtshroon
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