Clanwilliam Attractions

Clanwilliam, situated in the fertile valley of the Olifants River, is an attractive little town with a number of buildings in Cape Dutch style which draws visitors not only for its own sake but also for its nearness to the Cedarberg range.

There were a few settlers in this area as early as 1732. The little town was founded in 1820, and is thus one of the oldest in the country. A common plant in the surrounding area is the rooibos ("red bush"), whose dried leaves are used to make rooibos tea, a tannin-free tea rich in vitamin C which is now widely exported.

A few of Clanwilliam's earliest buildings have survived, among them the prison and the house of an Irish settler.