Stellenbosch at a glance
Stellenbosch
A piece of heaven on earth
Oak trees, historic buildings, students, green spaces, cafés and lots of great wine are among the first impressions of this buzzing university town, but there's much more to life in Stellenbosch than its undeniable picture-postcard charm.
Visitors flock to Stellenbosch for its quaint historic streets lined with oak trees and for its well-deserved reputation for gourmet food and wine. Students come to study at the world-class university that occupies a significant area of the town centre. And residents get all that plus a lifestyle that offers the best of all worlds.
Stellies is all about small-town convenience; a diversity of culture and arts more typical of a big city; prestigious schools; a vibrant café culture; beautiful surroundings; and the mountains and wine estates that embrace the town and offer a wealth of outdoor activities.
"Stellenbosch is probably the most 'happening' town outside of the city centres - never a dull moment," says Ilse van der Merwe of the Demo Kitchen, who has lived here her whole life. "It's a town filled with so many choices on the social calendar, restaurant scene and local music scene." Locals can take their pick of events, from the annual Woordfees literary and music festival to the summer street soirees with open-air wine tastings; from lunchtime concerts at the university Conservatoire to theatre productions at Oude Libertas amphitheatre; and so much more.
The town centre, with its oak-lined streets overflowing with cafés, delis, boutiques and traditional high-street shops (no need for out-of-town malls here), is very walkable, and residents who are lucky enough to live in sought-after Mostertsdrift and other central residential areas can easily walk to work, stopping for breakfast in a favourite café and avoiding traffic, which can clog up narrow streets in peak season.
For a town so rooted in history, Stellenbosch has an incredibly youthful energy. Besides the university, known internationally for its research and development and postgrad studies, there is a wealth of innovative businesses, both hi-tech and creative. "There's a vibrant mix of creatives living and working in Stellenbosch, passionate about preserving Stellenbosch as a premium historic town, but also keen on developing Stellenbosch's unique modern heart," comments Ilse. "It's the closest to living in Europe that you'll get in SA, with a distinctive uncompromising local flavour."
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