Vergelegen - Cape Winelands - Cape town - South Africa

History Vergelegen
Vergelegen, meaning "situated far away", was granted to the Governor of the Cape in 1700 and the property has had a long and fascinating history since that time. Willem Adriaan Van der Stel, was a man of divergent interests who transformed the uncultivated land into a veritable paradise. He planted vines, camphor trees and oaks, laid out fruit orchards and orange groves, and introduced cattle and sheep.

During its long history Vergelegen has developed a unique culture. It is embodied in physical properties, in its people and in the more aesthetic traditions down over the last 300 years. The property still gives pleasure to its numerous visitors with its layout, including the historic camphor trees and octagonal garden, the stately homestead and the fertile valley where fine wines are grown.

Gardeners paradise

Today, it is one of those rare places where the visitor can begin a progressive discovery into a world that harmonises the past and present; where an air of dreaminess pervades; and where synergy between man and his bountiful environment is accomplished.

Vergelegen has been a gardeners paradise from the time the land was first tamed by Willem Adriaan van der Stel in 1700. Not content merely to be a farmer, Willem Adriaan was also a botanist, forester and a horticulturist and wrote the "The African Gardeners and Agriculturists Calendar". Much of which he wrote centuries ago is still relevant to this day. Evidence of his skills are still visible on Vergelegen - the five camphor trees gracing the front of the Homestead, the oldest oak tree in South Africa and an ancient mulberry tree.

Octagonal Garden