ABOUT
Riebeek Kasteel is one of the oldest towns in South Africa, situated 80 km north-east of Cape Town in The Riebeek Valley together with its sister town Riebeek West.
The Riebeek Valley would have been known to indigenous Khoi people but was first described by a party of Cape Dutch explorers under leadership of Pieter Cruythoff in 1661.
The mountain, Riebeeck’s Kasteel Berg (Riebeeck’s Castle Mountain) was named after then Cape commander Jan van Riebeeck by this expedition and the settlements along the eastern slope of the mountain later derived their names from it. In translation from Dutch to Afrikaans, the letter c in Riebeeck was dropped. The first settlers arrived in the area in the early 18th century.
Riebeek West was established as a parish of the Dutch Reformed Church in 1858.
Jan Smuts was born in Bovenplaatz, near Riebeek West, on May 24, 1870.Daniel Malan was born in 1874 in Riebeeck West.Both men later became prime ministers of South Africa.
Subsequently farmers established themselves in the valley and during 1900 the town was laid out in and around its existing church and its neighbor The Royal Hotel, the oldest hotel of South Africa.
The town eventually developed and today it houses more or less 2700 residents including some of South Africa’s most famous painters, attracted by the picturesque surroundings of the valley.
The town also serves as a satellite, a residential settlement for Paarl, Malmesbury and even the Metropole area. Often Riebeek Kasteel is referred as “the best kept secret of the Western Cape” and “Franschhoek 15 years ago.”
In 2009 Riebeek Kasteel was chosen one of the three most beautiful towns of the Western Cape by the newspaper “Rapport”.
The Riebeek Valley is known for its wheat, wines, and more recently, olives.
It is popular for tourism, arts and crafts, and retirement. The Olive Festival is held annually early in May and the Berg River Canoe Marathon passes there in July.
Riebeek Kasteel
Riebeek Kasteel is one of the oldest towns in South Africa, situated at 80 km north-east of Cape Town. During 1661 Commander Jan van Riebeeck initiated an inland discovery expedition under the leadership of Pieter Cruythoff. They set off in the direction of Paardeberg and on 3 February 1661 they ascended a lonely mountain and came upon the fertile vista of the Riebeek Valley. They named it Riebeek Kasteel, in honor of the Commander.
Riebeek West
Riebeek West is the sister town, 5 kms away from KastIn the 19th century both Jan Smuts and Daniel Malan were born on the outskirts of neighbouring Riebeek West, both later becoming prime ministers of the country.
Riebeeksriver
Riebeeksrivier is a beautiful farmstead located on the eastern side of the Majestic Kasteelberg mountains, overlooking the Swartland area all the way to Table Mountain. It is now the home of a number of vineyards, wheat and produce farms which give the area an utterly picturesque landscape.
