Stellenbosch; wine farms put it on the map students keep it there

Stellenbosch is a historical town situated about one hour outside of Cape Town. With a population of 24 600 students the town is well-known for more than just the award winning Stellenbosch wine farmSpier on its outskirts. Stellenbosch is the oldest town in the established Cape Winelands.Accommodation in town can be hard to find after the students have settled in for the year. The historical significance of the town is only bolstered by the university which is one of the oldest and largest in the country it also has the largest rugby club in the world. Education is carried out almost entirely in Afrikaans, which makes it a bastion for the Afrikaans culture, which probably explains the size of the rugby club.

The lifestyle in this quaint historical town is a contrast of quiet small town living and the lively student life, consisting of bars, nightclubs and rugby games. The most famous of which is the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch derby, one can’t expect to receive much peace or quiet on these weekends as UCT students roll into town by the bus load. At the beginning of each academic year the first years arrive a week early for what has become aptly named "Carnival." This week includes initiation of the new students. Today, due to laws governing these activities, the initiates don’t go through quite the same process as their predecessors, the week involves singing, hostel spirit building and no small amount of drinking. While the events can become very rowdy affairs, the week is viewed with a certain amount of affection by locals and if one is nearby it is always worthwhile venturing into town for a night or two to experience student life at its most lively.



Stellenbosch is known as a student town and for good reason, this is not however the be all and end all of living in Stellenbosch. The countless Stellenbosch wine farms that dot the surrounding landscape provide a tourist attraction for many overseas visitors to Cape Town. The town itself, however, is an area of great historical significance and provides many points of interest to visiting tourists.



Stellenbosch was established in 1679 originally as an area of agricultural interest by the governor of the Cape Colony Simon van der Stel, Stellenbosch means (van der) Stel’s Forrest, as he commissioned the planting of dozens of Oak Trees. Interestingly although Simon van der Stel had a solid knowledge of viticulture- he founded the Constantia Wine Estate- it wasn’t until the arrival of the French Huguenot refugees that wine making in the region really started to develop seriously. They bought with them the ancient French knowledge of wine making and were able to immediately recognise the potential of the surrounding land and the local climate for growing grapes.



Stellenbosch is an interesting place to visit, what with all the Stellenbosch wine farms and the welcoming Cape Wineland’s accommodation. It is however an even better place to live. The university and the student life that this attract may seem like a bothersome inconvenience, once you spend a few weeks there you will realise that this actually just adds to the tremendous sense of community that exists in this small town.