For a charming little village in the central Karoo region, Prince Albert has a lot going on. There is more to this town than pretty houses, delightful restaurants and art shops. It is situated at the foot of the Swartberg Mountains separating Prince Albert from the Klein Karoo. The Swartberg Pass, a dirt-track pass over the mountains is an attraction not to be missed. The mountains are part of the Cape Fold Belt of mountains which make for stunning rock formations. They are also responsible for the perennial water supply the town is lucky to have.
The ‘Prince Albert – Great Karoo’ app is a comprehensive information app for the town. For visitors and residents, it has information about accommodation, restaurants, shops, activities, emergency numbers, a directory of telephone numbers for businesses and services, a notice board, a real time events calendar and even a 30 question quest to get visitors to explore the town. The app is available free on Google Play and the App store.
WHEN TO GO
The best time of the year to go is Autumn (March and April) when the days are cooling. The town has an annual Food and Olive Festival in April when Olives are the theme for two days. Autumn is also the season to visit the fig farm. Prince Albert’s hosts the Indie Karoo Film Festival in winter (June/July). The Klein Karoo National Arts Festival is held in Oudtshoorn (just over the pass) every year.
CLIMATE
Prince Albert falls gets its rain in early winter and spring with thundershowers in summer. The Karoo is a semi-desert so there is little rain. In summer it gets hot during the day averaging 30°C in summer (September to March). The temperatures can get as high as 40°C. Winters are chilly at night with temperatures dropping to 3°C. The best time to go is autumn (March to April). The mountainous regions the winters are much colder.
FAUNA & FLORA
Larger mammals are more likely to be seen by visitors to the reserves and trails. They include dassie, klipspringer and baboon, although leopard, otters, jackal, aardvark, kudu, steenbok, grysbok and grey rhebok are also present. Hopefully Sylvester will not be wandering in the area. Sylvester is a male lion that has twice escaped his home in the Karoo National Park. He was rounded up (without incident) and taken home on both occasions.
More than 130 bird species have been recorded around this area. Look out for Black, Fish and Marshall Eagles. Cape sugarbirds are often seen perching on a protea bush and the pied kingfisher around water. Colourful lizards and agamas can be seen sunbathing on rocks and paths. Be more careful of the 11 species of snake getting their dose of sunshine especially in winter.
The town of Prince Albert falls in the Nama Karoo region but because of the mountains the vegetation is very diverse, including Renosterveld, mountain fynbos, Karoo-veld, spekboom veld and numerous bulb species. Some flowers bloom throughout the year while others flower in spring. In early autumn, many protea species flower, attracting sugarbirds and sunbirds. During mid-summer (December – February) notable plants on the higher Swartberg peaks are in flower, including rare proteas.
THINGS TO SEE & DO
1) Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was completed in 1865. The bell and clock were both imported from London. During the Boer War the British forces used the church tower as a look out.
2) Scenic Drives
Take one of the many scenic drives in the area:
● Prince Albert – Swartberg Pass – Meiringspoort – Prince Albert
● 100s of birds at the Gamkapoort Dam – 4x4 ONLY
● A day drive to see the splendours of the Swartberg Mountains
● Prince Albert – Swartberg Pass – Cango Caves– Prince Albert through De Rust and Meiringspoort
● Visit Klaarstroom at the northern end of Meiringspoort. About 60 km east of Prince Albert is a tiny Victorian hamlet that really is a ‘one horse town’.
● Anglo-Boer War historical route
There are two Anglo-Boer War routes, one to the north and the other to the south of Prince Albert. Visitors can follow the steps of the local commandos’. See the sites of battles and graves of those who lost their lives. See the Fransie Pienaar Museum and the Tourism Association Office for all the details. This route includes gravel roads with parts of each route on tar roads including a section along the N1.
● A romantic sunset drive
Drive along the Weltevrede Valley road to see the sunset. About 25 km on gravel through a small pass. As the sun sets the mountains behind are transformed, ranging from every shade of blue to the deepest purple, while ahead of you the sun strikes peaks and clouds with golden-orange and sultry-pink hues. Drive back to Prince Albert under the star-filled Karoo sky. You can stay in the Weltevrede Valley in houses dating from the 19th Century,
3) 100-year old vine at the Swartberg Hotel
The Swartberg Hotel has a vine in the garden at the back that is said to be over 100 years old.
4) The house that was a post office
The beautifully painted red house on the corner of Mark and Bank Streets is that colour for a reason. The building used to be the town’s post office. Look out for their interesting post box as you pass by.
5) Hand-painted dustbins
Nearly all the dustbins in Prince Albert are hand-painted with information about the town, the area, or the history of the building they are placed in front of. There are approximately 107 painted dustbins in total. Now if only all towns would go to that effort with their bins! There is also some interesting graffiti on buildings in the main road.
6) The Showroom Theatre
Prince Albert has a world-class theatre and cinema housed in a beautiful art-deco building. The building was originally a car showroom. No longer showing cars, it now shows art movies and hosts performing artists in a plush theatre, complete with avant-garde red seats and carpeting. It is well-worth a visit if you are in town.
admin@showroomtheatre.co.za
+27 23 5411 563
+27 74 639 4304
7) Saturday Morning Market
Join the people of Prince Albert every Saturday Morning. The Market offers delicious breakfasts, home-produce and craft stalls. Buy jams, preserves, olives, olive oil, freshly baked bread and organically grown vegetables and fresh fruit in season.
+27 23 5411 366
princealberttourism@intekom.co.za
8) Parkrun Prince Albert
Every Saturday morning at the Odendal Stadium, Prince Albert parkrun starts at 7am during the summer months (October – March) 8am during the cooler months (April – September).
+27 72 108 1987
zmullins@mweb.co.za
9) The Story Weaver
Meet Ailsa the town’s story teller and registered tour guide.
+27 23 5411 211
story@storyweaver.co.za
10) The Ghost Walk
Take a pre-dinner walk around the streets of the village, in the company of the Ghosts of Prince Albert.
Set out at dusk and wander through the streets as darkness descends. Listen to light-hearted tales about characters who have lived in the village over the years – and the ghosts who do not want to leave! Pass a few lovely old buildings and visit a most unusual graveyard. Wear sensible shoes,
1½ hour walk
Times:
November – March 6.30pm
April – October 6pm
+27 23 5411 211
11) Fransie Pienaar Museum
The Fransie Pienaar Museum, originally a home, then a hospital, now a museum. Visit the Fransie Pienaar Museum to learn about the town’s history. The antiques and artefacts were collected largely by Fransie Pienaar. A wide variety of displays include:
● Information about Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert and a book of his speeches presented to the village by Her Majesty
● A fascinating fossil exhibition
● An extensive collection of Musical Instruments
● A Bedroom filled with old fashioned furnishings and a Nursery corner
● A Gun room with some fascinating weapons
● The Watermill history
● A Medical Section depicting the hospital's history
● Display of the construction of the Swartberg Pass
● History of Gamkaskloof and Meiringspoort and the 1890s Gold Rush
● Victorian clothing, needlework items and a kitchen display
To help raise funds, the museum distils their own witblitz (a moonshine made from grapes) in the back yard which is available for purchase.
Monday – Friday 9.30am – 12.30pm & 2pm – 4.30pm
Saturday 9.30am – 12pm
Sunday 10.30am – 11.30am
Closed: Public Holidays
fransiepmuseum@lantic.net
+27 23 5411 172
12) Local Artists
Collect the Prince Albert Arts and Design map from the Tourism Association Office in Kerkstraat and wander around the village and meet creative locals and view their work.
13) Prince Albert Gallery
The Prince Albert Gallery shows and sells art to visitors who are often pleasantly surprised to find artwork of quality in a small rural town.
14) Karoo Astronomy
Join Astro Tours on a tour through the celestial splendour of the Southern Hemisphere. Enjoy the celestial ‘Big Five’ of our dark sky in the Great Karoo: the brightest star, the closest star, the largest globular cluster, the most beautiful open cluster and the closest galaxies.
+27 72 732 2950
+27 72 641 9657
info@astrotours.co.za
15) Walk the Karoo labyrinth
The Karoo Labyrinth in the garden at St John the Baptist Church in Bank Street. You are most welcome to walk the Karoo Labyrinth, spend some time in contemplation or prayer. The Karoo labyrinth is unique to Prince Albert and has been constructed from local materials and indigenous plants. The path is defined by stones and weaves its way from the Church door towards a tree which provides shade for quiet contemplation or prayer. The Celtic Christian symbols of Earth, Air, Water and Fire all feature in the labyrinth.
16) In-depth exploration of the Karoo with Koekmakranka Tours
Take an in-depth exploration of the multi-layered history of the Karoo landscape from its geological origins, evolution, the rich fossil heritage and the gradual peopling with indigenous Khoisan and ultimate settlement by Trekboers.
The best of a vast number of relics, ruins and landmarks along the timeline are included in the tour. Most unknown (apart from academics) and therefore not visited by the tourists. Koekmakranka Tours offer an insight into the prehistory, history and cultural evolution of South Africa by visiting key landscapes, localities and heritage sites situated in the remote former heartland of the pastoralist Khoekhoen and hunter-gatherer San in the vast semi-desert area of the Great Karoo.
Contact
Dr Brian Rademeyer: +27 (3 442 5416
Dr Judy Maguire: +27 76 977 2308
brian@koekemakrankatourism.com
judy@koekemakrankatourism.com
17) SoetKaroo Wine Estate
The SoetKaroo label is from the small vineyard behind the house of local residents. It is a registered wine estate where they grow, make and bottle their own dessert wines – in the middle of the town. The wines are only available from the Tasting Room which is open:
Monday to Saturday 9am to 1pm (afternoons by appointment)
Closed on Sundays
+27 23 541 1768
+27 71 887 4250
18) Swartrivier Olive Farm
Just 4kms out of Prince Albert on the Kruidfontein Road is the Swartrivier Olive Farm. Visit the farm to view the olive groves and see how the fruit is processed. Get an introduction to the finer points of olive oil in a tasting. Guided tours and oil tasting by appointment only.
jonolyf@webmail.co.za
+27 23 5411 917
+27 82 578 3295
19) O for Olive Farm Shop
Apart from Olive products and tastings, the O for Olive farm shop provides Olive platter lunches, tea and cake.
Tuesday to Friday 9am – 4pm
Saturday and Sunday 9am – 2pm
Closed on Monday
20) Gay's Guernsey Dairy and Deli
Products from Gay's Guernsey Dairy are natural, unpasteurised, and without hormones or antibiotics. All their cattle are certified free of Tuberculosis and Brucellosis.
The Deli offers cheese, milk, yoghurt, Amasi South African buttermilk) and fruit juices. They also stock a menu of ready-to-eat South African meals and desserts.
The dairy offers cheese-tasting on request during opening hours.
Open on weekdays: 7am – 9am / 10am – 12pm / 4pm – 6pm
Weekends & Holidays: 7am – 10am / 4.30pm – 6pm
Upper Church Street
+27 23 541 1274
21) Weltevrede Fig and Guest Farm
Weltevrede is a working farm, the main crop is Adam's figs which are sun-dried. Visit us during the harvesting and drying season (January– May) to see how figs are picked, processed and packed.
They also grow oranges and naartjies and rear ostrich.
Visitors are most welcome to view all the farm activities. Group lunches or dinners can be arranged.
22) Guided Hikes
In the cooler months take a guided hike over the Swartberg Mountains from Weltevrede Fig and Guest Farm into ‘The Hel’ during the cooler months.
+27 23 541 1229
23) Gamkapoort Dam – 4x4 route
Experience the sounds of fish eagles piercing the silence, see buck and baboons – and watch birds fishing against the spectacular backdrop of the dinosaur-shaped mountains.
Gamkapoort Dam, built in the 1960s is a wide expanse of water in the middle of the Karoo. It is home to hundreds of birds. You need a 4x4 vehicle or a vehicle with plenty of height for this drive as you will cross sandy and rocky river beds and the Gamka River can run strongly at times.
Gamkapoort Road is a conservation area, quad bikes are not allowed. Day Fishing is allowed but no overnighting. Please close all gates behind you.
There are simple picnic sites equipped with rubbish bins. Approximately 100 km round trip
+27 23 581 5003
24) Bushman Valley
Get away from it all at Bushman Valley, a private Nature Reserve close to Prince Albert. They offer accommodation in chalets as well as caravanning and camping. Enjoy the caves, fossils in situ and artefacts in their museum shop. They provide guided 4x4 trails and hiking trails. There are refreshing rock pools to cool off and relax in. No TV, cell phones or internet. Open to day visitors as well.
25) Bushman Valley's Labyrinth
Overnight guests can now enjoy the 7-circle walk, for day trippers the walk is included in the hiking charge.
bushmanvalley1@gmail.com
+27 82 452 8134
26) Prince Albert Game Park
6 km east of Prince Albert on Ou Kloof Farm with the Swartberg Mountains as the backdrop. Tranquillity and peace abound – explore the surroundings and view the birdlife and the wide variety of animals. Look out for the critically endangered Riverine Rabbit.
27) Oudekloof Guest house is on a working fruit farm, the historical guesthouse is the place to stay for peace and quiet.
The offer:
● game drives
● safari drives
● walking and hiking,
● Canoes hire
● Tent hire
● Mountain Bike Trail,
● Star-gazing equipment for hire
Day visitors welcome.
28) Groot Sleutelfontein Private Game Reserve
Groot Sleutelfontein Private Game Reserve is ideal for family holidays. The reserve nestles against the northern slopes of the Swartberg Mountains, covers more than 10 000 ha. Its natural beauty is enhanced by the largest variety of succulents in the world.
It is said that in the Great Karoo you can reach out and touch the stars. Game still graze the plains with almost no intrusion by man. At Groot Sleutelfontein you will experience true Karoo hospitality.
● The reserve also has a fully equipped, operational farm butchery
● A 900m gravel airstrip accommodates most single and multi-engine turbo prop aircraft.
● Chartered flights are arranged from Cape Town, Stellenbosch and George Airports
● A 300m shooting range to hone your skills
29) Rietfontein Game Farm
Rietfontein in the Great Karoo is a dedicated plains-game hunting facility. Approximately 40 000 lie in the wide valley of the Groot River and its tributaries. Nearly 80km of riverine vegetation make the farm unique in the Karoo which is mostly dry and flat. Sections of the farm pass through tunnels of overhanging trees, and running water is always to be found downstream from the natural spring which gives the farm its name.
Other than Bow and Rifle Hunting, they cater for disabled hunters and offer:
● star-gazing
● mountain biking
● fossil hunting
● walking trails
● birding
● a chance to get close up to the extraordinary plant life in the area.
30) Wolwekraal Nature Walks
Join Renu-Karoo for a Nature Walk and enjoy the spectacular scenery in the Wolwekraal Nature Reserve near Prince Albert and learn about the geology, botany, natural and cultural history of the area on a two-hour guided nature walk. No dogs are allowed in the private nature reserve.
+27 082 770 0206
+27 082 845 9588
WklConsResOrg@gmail.com
31) Swartberg Nature Reserve
Gamkaskloof (aka The Hell) promises a sensory feast of proteas, regional ports and donkey trails.
The road originally a donkey trail was the only way to get to a small community living in an isolated village built around 1830. In the 1960s a road was built to open up the village to the rest of the world, however, this had the opposite effect on the residents who left the village. Only one resident stayed. They referred to themselves as ‘die Kloovers’.
Since then the whole area was declared a world heritage site and is under the control of Cape Nature.
Visitors staying overnight sleep in restored cottages. San rock art and artefacts are found in caves throughout the reserve. European contributions to the region’s heritage include three mountain passes built in the 1700s, the Toorwaterpoort railway, Meiringspoort Road and the Swartberg Pass, to link the Klein and Groot Karoo.
This reserve conserves a diversity of vegetation from Renosterveld to mountain fynbos and spekboom veld. It also supports a variety of wildlife, including antelope, baboons, dassies and leopard. Plants begin to flower on the lower levels of the mountain in spring and those fit enough to brave the higher peaks of the Swartberg Mountain could be lucky enough to spot the rare Protea venusta. For fans of the beautiful protea, autumn is the best time to spot them in full bloom.
Hikers in the reserve are urged to exercise caution due to the March 2016 fire, which caused extensive damage along the trails.
The road to Gamkaskloof is a dead-end so allow time to get there and back.
Download the bird list from Cape Nature’s Website
Office hours: 7.30am – 4pm
+27 0 44 203 6300
32) SwartBerg Pass
Prince Albert lies at the entrance to the 27km Swartberg Pass, considered one of the most spectacular mountain passes in the world: an untarred road winds to the summit 1 583 metres above sea level in steep zigzags and switchbacks, with breath-taking views at every corner.
The pass was constructed by Thomas Bain, who built a number of passes in South Africa, this was his last engineering masterpiece. He constructed passes to stand the test of time. The walls are dry packed stone walls one of which is 2.4kms long.
The pass was declared a National Monument in its Centenary year 1988 when it received a comprehensive facelift. Along the road are relics of an old prison, toll hut, hotel and other interesting historical sites.
The height of the mountains in the desert creates a unique micro-climate which supports fynbos and a rich bird population, look out for black eagles and klipspringers.
The Swartberg pass is untarred and can be treacherous in the rain. Ask for the latest road condition at the Prince Albert Tourism Association office or the police station.
33) Take a guided tour through the Swartberg Pass with Dennehof Tours
Guided tours in air-conditioned comfort up the Swartberg Pass and then into the lost valley of Gamkaskloof ‘Die Hel’. lindsay@dennehof.co.za
+27 82 456 8848
+27 23 5411 227
34) Hiking in the Swartberg Pass
The best months for hiking and cycling are April/May and September/October. You must have a permit to hike in the Swartberg Pass. There are a number of options for hiking in the Swartberg Mountains, from day hikes to a demanding five day hike.
35) Dennehof Tours arranges permits and will drives you into the Swartberg Pass with a picnic lunch, a bird list and map and you hike back down to Malva Draai, where beers or soft drinks will be cooling in the river. Choose between a 9 km and an 18 km route.
+27 82 456 8848
35) Cape Nature Hikes
Cape Nature offers day hikes, overnight hikes and 4x4 Routes in the Swartberg Nature Reserve.
Booking for trails and 4x4 routes can be made at the Central reservation office in Cape Town on
0861 CAPENATURE
+27 27 362 8873
+27 21 483 0190
Or from the Cape Nature Office in Oudtshoorn.
+27 44 279 1739
36) Cycling in the Swartberg Pass
Visitors can hire a mountain bike to ride up and down or just down the Swartberg Pass.
Dennehof Tours
+27 82 456 8848
37) Heritage Trail
Before the road was built into the Gamkaskloof valley in 1962, a donkey trail over the Swartberg Mountains from Calitzdorp to ‘Die Hel’ was the only commercial lifeline with the outside world. Hikers – accompanied by donkeys and guides – can now enjoy this heritage trail and hike the original route the way the pioneers did. The 25 km Donkey Trail starts on the farm Living Waters in Groenfontein near Calitzdorp and takes three nights and four days with a maximum of eight people walking at any time. Guests' luggage is carried and all meals are included.
info@donkeytrail.com
+27 83 628 9394
38) Guided Hikes from Weltevrede Fig and Guest Farm
In the cooler months take a guided hike over the Swartberg Mountains from Weltevrede Fig and Guest Farm into ‘The Hel’ during the cooler months.
+27 23 541 1229
39) Donkey Day trips
John's Donkey will take you on a day trip to:
● Meiringspoort with its amazing geological formations
● the dizzying heights of the Swartberg Pass
● down into the depths of 'Die Hel'
● Gamkapoort Dam
● Cango Caves
● Matjiesrivier Valley
+27 23 5411 659
+27 82 575 5133
40) Meiringspoort
Meiringspoort is a mountain pass and world heritage site. It has soaring cliff walls and spectacular rock formations for 25 km on a tarred road. The road follows the floor of the gorge, crossing the Groot River 25 times. The first road through the poort was constructed between 1856. The first freight of wool from the interior was sent to Mossel Bay through Meiringspoort ox-drawn wool wagons. The road through the poort is a remarkable engineering feat, but the folds of the Table Mountain sandstone strata tower above the road, constantly changing colour as you move through sunlight and shade. Stop at the one of the most scenic spots, the Skelm, water falling into a dark pool which, according to legend is bottomless. Meiringspoort has flooded several times, so in 1888 a high road over the mountain was built. The Swartberg Pass was opened in 1888.
A drive through Meiringspoort to Oudtshoorn and back over the Swartberg Pass to Prince Albert provides a day with spectacular scenery.
Take a guided tour through Meiringspoort
Dennehof Tours takes trips in an air-conditioned mini-bus through Meiringspoort and the Swartberg Pass.
+27 82 456 8848
+27 23 5411 227
lindsay@dennehof.co.za
Source References: Prince Albert Pamphlet & Prince Albert website
- Visit this historic town which has attracted artists and enterprising people from all over the world creating a tourist industry like no other.
- The village is a little gem, with water furrows and beautifully preserved Cape Dutch, Karoo and Victorian buildings.
- The spectacular night skies and pure clean air adds to the charm of this little Karoo village, which has plenty to see and do
- Donkey Day trips
- Heritage trail (Hikers)
- Guided tours around some stunning passes and areas
- Nature reserves with guided tours, game-viewing and nature walks
- fossil hunting
- mountain biking trails
- Wine estates and fig and olive farms
- 4x4 routes
- Astronomy
- Arts and galleries
- Theatre
The original farm, De Queekvallei (now Gay’s Dairy Farm), is depicted in a painting by Robert Gordon (1778) and can be seen in The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. There is a bench on Gordon’s Hill (in his honour) which is the perfect place for an aerial view of the town.
The town still uses a lei water system, using water channelled from the mountains. The people with water rights have a set day and time in which they can direct the canal water to their home. On the canal one of five old watermills remain in working order, it was built in 1850 and operated until 1972.
Many of the buildings have the town’s unique gable, known as the Prince Albert Gable, dating from 1840.
Prince Albert was the first town in South Africa to have a multi-racial rugby team in 1984. The Fransie Pienaar Museum has a collection of rugby photographs, which will prove fascinating for rugby fans. Many visitors have spotted one of their distant relatives in them.
