With a rich history and many activities, Boschendal is a vast complex that produces fruit and wine. It contains restaurants, high-end accommodations and many historic buildings from colonial times. Try the estate’s distinctive grapes and learn about the South African wine industry.
Take a historical tour of the estate with a docent to learn about its past. Enjoy the view from the highest part of the farm during the vineyard tour. The cellar tour brings you into the basement among the stacked barrels and bottles. Enter the Wine Tasting Centre, which is the oldest building on the estate. Allow docents to guide you through a tasting of the award-winning Boschendal wines.
The forces of nature constantly remind you of their presence in the form of the Drakenstein mountains looming over the farm. Enjoy the serenity as you make your way through the pleasant rose garden. Bring the family on mountain-biking treks and horse rides along scenic trails.
When you’re hungry, choose between the Werf Restaurant, the Farm Shop & Deli or the Rhone Homestead for artisanal menus and international cuisine. Arrange a picnic of natural farm produce with family and friends on the lawn.
Hear how the farm dates back to the 17th century, with its past entwined with that of Huguenot refugees fleeing religious persecution in Europe. In 1897, the farm came into the hands of English businessman and imperialist Cecil Rhodes, who launched a fruit business here.
Fees and opening times vary for the different tours. Stay on the estate in luxury lodgings, such as the Rhodes Cottage or the restored farm laborer cottages that retain a rustic charm.
Boschendal is in the Drakenstein Valley, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) east of Capetown. Franschhoek and Stellenbosch are within 25 minutes from the farm by car. Visit other nearby attractions, such as the Delaire Graff Estate, the Simonsberg Nature Reserve and the Vrede en Lust Wine Estate.
