Swartland
Encyclopedia
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and consists of the regions between the towns of Malmesbury in the south, Darling
Darling, Western Cape
Darling is a small town in a farming area on the west coast region of the Western Cape, about 75 km from Cape Town.By the beginning of the 18th century about 29 farmers lived in an area called Groenkloof and on one of these farms, Langfontein, Darling was founded in 1853...
in the west, Piketberg
Piketberg
Piketberg is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. The original spelling of the name was "Piquetberg".The town is in the foothills of the Piketberg mountains, a range of low mountains formed from Table Mountain Sandstone....
in the north and the Riebeek West
Riebeek West
Riebeek West is a small town situated 5 km from Riebeek Kasteel and about 75 km north-east of Cape Town in the Swartland area of the Western Cape, South Africa. The Riebeek Valley is known for its wheat, wines and more recently olives.The area of Riebeek West was first seen by Cape...
and Riebeek Kasteel in the east. Jan van Riebeeck
Jan van Riebeeck
Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck was a Dutch colonial administrator and founder of Cape Town.-Biography:...
called this softly undulating country between the mountain ranges "Het Zwarte Land" (the Black Land) because of the endemic Renosterbos (Elytropappus rhinocerotis). After the rains, mainly in winter, the Renoster Bos takes on a dark appearance when viewed from the distance in large numbers. This is due to the fine leaf-hairs adhering to the leaves when wetted. The wide fertile plain is the bread basket of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
with its wheatfields reaching up to the foot of the mountains, interrupted by wine, fruit and vegetable farms.
Viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
in the Swartland is still comparatively young, and is practised under dryland conditions, with minimal irrigation. On the well sign-posted Swartland Wine Route the wine farms may be visited and their products sampled.
The Swartland is also home to the oldest colonial hotel of South Africa, The Royal Hotel in Riebeek Kasteel.