This quaint little village is experiencing significant growth as more day trippers enthralled by its charms choose to become permanent residents.
It’s a small village and yet Capetonians flock here for weddings, weekends and days out, not to mention for the Riebeek Valley Olive Festival in early May. Visitors stroll through the quiet streets; enjoy the eclectic collection of art galleries, boutiques and decor shops; taste wines, olives and olive oils from the local estates and dream of living the simple rural life. Fifteen years ago the village was even quieter. “We have lived in Riebeek Kasteel since 2001 and we’ve witnessed significant growth and interest in the dorpie, the Valley as well as the greater Swartland region over the past decade or so,” says Ian Manley of Manley Communications.
The historic Royal Hotel used to be one of the few places to have lunch, but now it’s joined by a number of fun and quirky eateries, bistros and bars sprinkled all over the village, with several more on the wine estates and in the neighbouring village of Riebeek West. Despite this growth as a weekend destination, Riebeek Kasteel has managed to hang on to its genuine country village roots.
“We spent 10 years looking to move out of Cape Town to a more rural and peaceful environment to realise our dream of opening a luxury guest house,” says Gareth Dewar-Pienaar who recently moved to the area. “We looked at Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl and felt these areas were over-saturated with this kind of establishment. We also thought they had lost some of their rural charm, which the Riebeek Valley has in spades.”
Surrounded by wine and olive-growing estates, and with the wild and rocky Kasteelberg towering over the valley, the views are beautiful at every turn. The mountain nature reserve is another attraction. “We love the wide open spaces with lots of places for bird-watching and botanising, and the chance to study the renosterveld plant kingdom,” says Fiona Hellman of Kasteel Kat Olives, who has lived here for 14 years. “It’s living in a working village, with no robots, no rush hour and no big shopping malls nearby.”
The Riebeek Valley is just close enough for some residents to commute into Cape Town. It’s a scenic 45-minute drive to Century City, and just 30km to Wellington and 45km to Paarl for shopping and schools. In the heart of the Swartland farm country, you can escape the summer heat and head over to the West Coast at Yzerfontein or Langebaan, and the Ceres mountains begin just across the valley, so there’s no shortage of beautiful places to explore.
The valley and villages have attracted a resident community of artists, which has inspired Solo Studios, an annual open studio weekend in July. The Olive Festival in May is best known, attracting large numbers of visitors, but some festivals are more about the local community. “The NGK Lentefees in September is a wonderful example of village life before it became trendy,” says Fiona. “It becomes a social gathering.” Another regular community event is The Village Market, held in Riebeek West on the first Saturday of every month. “It’s simple and friendly. Nothing pretentious, and all profits go to charity,” adds Fiona.
And while the valley has welcomed the influx of visitors, at its heart it is still a working farming community which is close to the land. “There are days that the slow pace can be frustrating having come from the city,” says Gareth, “but then you sit on your patio with a glass of wine watching the sunset and you realise you have something very precious in the peace and tranquillity of small-town life that many people from the city can only dream of.”
We really love the fact that the town has not become too ‘commercialised’. It has managed to hang on to its rural heritage with just a touch of sophistication.
-Gareth Dewar-Pienaar of Vineyard Views Country House.
Best in food:
- Mama Cucina: for wood-fired pizzas and informal Italian cuisine
- Bartholomeus Klip: for special occasions
- Beans About Coffee: for the best coffee
- The Alchemist: for bistro fare, a wide gin selection and boutique Swartland wines
- Wicked Treats: for cakes, coffee and lunches
- Pleasant Pheasant at Allesverloren: for a simple family lunch
- Eve’s Eatery and Bar: for paella nights and quirky decor
- Red Tin Roof: for gastro-pub local fare
Things to do:
- Browse the art galleries, boutiques and decor shops.
- Taste wine at the local wine estates and at the Wine Kollective.
- Taste olives at the Olive Boutique and at Kloovenberg Wine Estate.
- Enjoy G&Ts on the front stoep of the historic Royal Hotel.
- Visit Riebeek Valley Museum and Jan Smuts Museum.
Nature nearby:
- Bartholomeus Klip Private Nature Reserve
- Hiking trails up the Kasteelberg
- The 40km Kasteelberg MTB route
- Swartland Birding Routes
This article originally appeared in Neighbourhood, Sunday Times.
