Beyond Cape Town
Franschhoek: the valley of the Huguenots
The back story
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Ad Meskens You are free to use this picture for any purpose as long as you credi · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Franschhoek: the valley of the Huguenots
Franschhoek, the “French corner”, lies at the head of a valley ringed by mountains, where Huguenot refugees settled at the end of the 17th century; the Huguenot Monument stands at the top of the village. Today its main street, Huguenot Road, is lined with restaurants and galleries, and the Franschhoek Wine Tram carries visitors between the estates.
Getting there
By car via the N1 and Paarl, or via Stellenbosch and the Helshoogte Pass.
The wine tram
The Franschhoek Wine Tram runs hop-on, hop-off routes between wine estates; book on winetram.co.za.
Franschhoek is about an hour and a quarter’s drive from Cape Town, traffic permitting.
Eating and staying
Le Coin Français on Huguenot Road; La Residence and Leeu Estates for the night; the Franschhoek Motor Museum on the L’Ormarins estate.
Our advice: stay the night: the valley is at its best early in the morning.
Why it's on our list
- Getting there
- The wine tram
- Eating and staying
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Franschhoek: the valley of the Huguenots before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from Franschhoek: the valley of the Huguenots are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 12 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- Cape Town International Airport48 kmCar or taxi 121 min