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I like walking; even when I don't need to walk you'll find me walking. I enjoy walking so much that some of my friends say I'm like Forest Gump, except I walk instead of run and I haven't started a shrimping business called Bubba-Gump Shrimp.
I spent my university years in the little wine-making town of Stellenbosch, and have to say that one of my favourite roads to walk along would be Dorp Street. Filled with trendy restaurants, interesting history, and numerous arty boutique stores, it is definitely a must-stop when visiting the Eikestad.
Dorp Street is the second oldest road in South Africa and originally formed part of the old wagon road to Cape Town. The road features a number of old buildings and gables with a variety of architectural styles from Cape Dutch to Victorian.
Oude Leeskamer
Starting at the top of Dorp Street is the Old Reading Room. Recently restored, the building has over the last two centuries served as a magistrate's office, school, political meeting place, residential home, architects' studio, and is now a guesthouse. The building was originally a Reading Room - hence the name 'Oude Leeskamer'.
Verbatim Bookstore
On the corner of Andringa and Dorp is the Verbatim Bookstore, where you can find a variety of new and second hand books. The Victorian building is said to have originally been a funeral parlour, and windows were custom-made to allow for the movement of coffins.
Stellenbosch University Art Gallery
Further down the road, the Stellenbosch University Art gallery is a semi-commercial gallery, and regularly hosts art exhibitions. The building was previously a Lutheran church, and was designed and built in 1854 by the renowned architect and builder Carl Otto Hager.
Big Easy
The Big Easy, on the left of Dorp Street, is a restaurant owned by the golfing great Ernie Els. The restaurant is located in an old gable known as 'La Gratitude'. The gable was built and designed by Reverend Meent Borcherds in 1794, and features the famous 'all seeing eye' at the entrance to the gable. The restaurant opened in 2008 and has a distinctively French feel with top-class wine and food.
Oom Samie se Winkel
A couple of hundred metres down Dorp Street is Oom Samie se Winkel, an old trading store selling a variety of goods ranging from kitsch to vintage, and selling moerkoffie (strong coffee) and bokkoms for the strong-willed. The trading store was started in 1904 and has become somewhat of an institution in Stellenbosch with many people passing through the store filled with an interesting array of products.
Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch is filled with history, beauty and a strong focus on culture. Head to Stellenbosch for a weekend of relaxing while visiting the many beautiful sights around the town, and tasting the wines that have made this area so popular. A good section of a day can easily be spent wandering along Dorp Street and taking in the various galleries and restaurants along the way.
