The Stellenbosch Village Museum

T he Stellenbosch Village          named the town after himself.      Museum is made up of four                                          historic houses and their       The Schreuderhuis                  gardens. Each home represents a                                          separate time period in the           The first restoration was          history of Stellenbosch. The          performed on the Schreuderhuis     restoration and decoration of the     which was built in 1709. As such,  houses, their interiors and their     the Schreuderhuis is the oldest    gardens serves to illustrate the      restored and documented town       particular style and taste of the     house in the whole of South        time. Each home is a true             Africa.                            representation of the dominant                                           styles, tastes and technologies       It even has the right to boast     available at the time that it was     that it survived the very first    originally lived in.                  great fire in Stellenbosch! The                                          garden and the interior            The museum is set in a                furnishings are splendid examples  beautifully kept part of the          of a typical Stellenbosch home     famous town. These four historic      from the period of 1680 – 1720.    homes are not the only remarkable     The home is a true reflection of   old buildings to be seen in the       its surroundings as much of the    area, but they are definitely the     furniture has been crafted from    most faithful to their individual     local materials.                   histories.                                                                                                     One of the most notable features   The setting of the Museum is one      of the structure is the open       of the most beautiful locations       hearth in the kitchen. Strings of  in the Southern hemisphere. No        onions, herbs and salted fish      wonder the original Governor of       decorate the kitchen rafters and   the Cape, Simon van der Stel,         the hand-built, sturdy Cape        furniture provides seating for        “voorkaamer” (a lounge) where      the ghosts of the large,              guests were greeted and            hardworking pioneer family that       entertained.                       lived and ate here.                                                                                            Grosvenor House                    Blettermanhuis                                                                                                 Grosvenor House was originally     Blettermanhuis is the second home     built by Christian Ludolph         in the Museum complex. This           Neethling in 1782. Successive      opulent dwelling has been             owners added to it over the years  exquisitely restored and              until it came, in 1803, to look    decorated in a manner true to the     as it does today. Grosvenor House  style preferred in a wealthy          is one of the most outstanding     Stellenbosch home during the          examples of a two-storied,         period of 1750 - 1790. Hendrik        flat-roofed, patrician town        Lodewyk Bletterman, built             house. A large number of these     Blettermanhuis in 1789.               houses were built during the       Bletterman was the very last          period both in Stellenbosch as     magistrate of Stellenbosch to be      well as in Cape Town. Other prime  appointed by the Dutch East India     examples include Koopmans de Wet   Company.                              House and the Martin Melck House                                         in Cape Town.                      The home was built in the             A spacious garden provided a       magnificent and much famed 18th       blissful retreat from the hustle   Century Cape style, with 6 gables     of 19th century small-town life    in an “H” shaped ground plan. It      and you can still drink in the     shows all the typical                 elegant calm of the beautiful      architectural features of a house     plantings, some of which have      from this period including a          lasted since they took root        beautifully appointed                 (somewhere between1800 and 1830).                                        award-winning vintages available.  OM Bergh                              These are best enjoyed with a                                            gourmet meal as prepared by one    OM Bergh was deputy bailiff of        of the internationally acclaimed   the area and his house now            local and international chefs who  carries his name. Olof Marthinus      have chosen to make Stellenbosch   Bergh and his family lived in the     their home.                        fourth museum house from 1836 up                                         to 1877. The original building        The wine itself is grown amidst    had a thatched roof and gables of     some of the most beautiful         a similar style similar to those      countryside known to man. Imagine  of Blettermanhuis. The house was      the big African sky as the         altered during the 19th Century       backdrop for dramatic, craggy      to look as it does today. This        mountains, lush green valleys and  beautiful home is a perfect           myriad wildlife. Rolling between   example of mid-nineteenth century     the town and the mountains are     residential architecture and          swathes and folds of colourful     interiors with wall-paper,            vineyards. As the last of the      furniture and décor objects from      late-harvest grapes ripen in the   the period of 1850 to 1870.           autumn sun, the fields appear to                                         turn to flame as the vine leaves   Natural Charm                         go every warm hue from purple to                                         cadmium yellow. Even the worst     The Charm of Stellenbosch is in       photographer in the world would    the rich variety of culture and       be hard-pressed to take home       history that can be experienced       anything but masterful shots!      in this atmospheric setting. You                                         would be remiss to visit the          Quiet Getaway                      heart of the winelands without                                           sampling some of the                  Stellenbosch, with its             magnificent surroundings, rich        for anyone who wants to absorb a   past and vibrant modern               little history in one of the most  life-style, is a perfect getaway      beautiful settings on earth.       About the Author: Villa Grande (http://www.villa-grande.com) offers luxurious guest house accommodation in Stellenbosch. The guest house is situated in the historic centre of the picturesque Cape Winelands leaving guests with a stunning view. Published At: www.Isnare.com