Paarl lies on the banks of the Berg River in a broad fertile valley under the Paarl Mountain (729m/2,392ft). The name Paarl (''Pearl'') comes from a large granite crag which gleams like a pearl when it is caught by the sun after a fall of rain. The fruit and vegetables grown in the surrounding area are processed in canning
factories in the town.
The first Europeans settled in this area in 1687, soon to be followed by Huguenot refugees from France. The town was officially founded in 1717, making it one of the oldest European settlements in the hinterland of Cape Town.
The town played an important part in the development of Afrikaans as the official language of South Africa. A society was formed in the town in 1875 to regularize the grammar and vocabulary of the language, and the first Afrikaans newspaper, ''Die Afrikaanse Patriot'', began to appear in Paarl on January 15th 1876.
Paarl is a quiet and attractive town. Its oldest street (Main Street), 11km/7mi long and lined by oak-trees, was laid out in 1720; it has preserved a number of historic old buildings.