Groot Constantia

Groot Constantia, the oldest and best known estate in South Africa, lies in the Constantia valley, a 20-minute drive from the center of Cape Town. The estate was presented to Simon van der Stel, governor of the Dutch colony, by the Dutch East India Company in 1685 so that he could find, by trial and error, which agricultural products did best on the Cape. In due course he built a mansion in which he lived from 1699 until his death in 1712. In 1778 Hendrik Cloete, grandson of one of the earliest settlers, bought the house and part of the estate and commissioned Louis Thibault and Anton Anreith to enlarge and embellish the building. In 1885 the whole estate was sold to the colonial authorities. Groot Constantia is now a state-owned estate. The mansion, one of the finest examples of Cape Dutch architecture, became a museum in 1926 and now displays valuable 18th and 19th C furniture and a collection of porcelain. The Cellar of 1791, which has a pediment on the façade with figural decoration by Anton Anreith, is now used for exhibitions and congresses. Adjoining the main house, and fitting beautifully into the general ensemble, is the Jonkershuis, now a popular restaurant. Rather more rustic in style is the Tavern restaurant housed in another building.