Oudtshoorn

Oudtshoorn is located between the mountains of Outeniqua and Swartberg in the Kleine Karoo on the well-known Route 62. A village located in the fertile valley on the Grobbelaars river in the Western Cape province.

Oudtshoorn has the most sun days in South Africa and the temperatures here are delicious all year round, usually between 26 and 36 degrees. Not much wind and dry winters are also very pleasant, but it can cool down to 0 to 5 degrees at night.

The tobacco, grapes, grain and fruit that is grown here provides good export opportunities, but Oudtshoorn has been put on the map by the ostrich industry. And then the feathers of these fast birds! Oudtshoorn has been known for several centuries as the center of ostrich breeding and there are still many ostrich farms. In the last century the market reached its peak and there was a high demand for ostrich feathers. The ostrich farmers, also called barons, built their ” feather palaces ” which now belong to the national monuments of South Africa. After the Second World War, industry collapsed due to insufficient demand for the springs. 

Today, farmers have resumed ostrich breeding and now they are mainly earning on the meat and skin (leather) of the ostriches. Eggs and feathers are now a side issue but still nice souvenirs. Visit one of the many ostrich farms and learn more about the special birds.
Houses in ‘Ostrich Capital’ Oudtshoorn come in different styles, the Art Nouveaux and Victorian architecture really stand out. Most houses of allure can be found in the Baron van Rheede street where you can also find the C.P. Nel museum. A real country museum.

Just outside the city are the Cango caves, a beautiful natural phenomenon where daily tours are organized. The 20 million year old limestone caves are located in the Swartberg Mountains, 30 km from Oudtshoorn, and is one of the world wonders and South Africa’s oldest tourist attraction. You can make a standard tour with a guide or for those who do not suffer from claustrophobia and are agile: the adventurous tour.

To see a wide variety of special animals such as white lions, tigers, large bats, crocodiles, beautiful fish, lemurs, snakes and many others, visit Cango Wildlife Ranch. You will find this park near Oudtshoorn and especially with children this is a fun and educational trip.

A nice adventure is also driving the Swartberg Pass and the Meiringspoort, of course stopping on the way in Prince Albert or at one of the many beautiful stops along the way, for example at the waterfall with rockpool, where the silence and beautiful nature will amaze. The Rust and the Hell are small villages around Oudtshoorn and fit perfectly in a day of touring through the Gamkaberg and the Swartberg. You can also make different types of 4×4 tours here or, for a much sportier way, go hiking!
A route of a totally different caliber is the wine route. There are numerous wine farms in and around Oudtshoorn and the neighboring Calitzdorp is known for its port wines.

Every year the “Klein Karoo National Art Fees” takes place in the village, which is South Africa’s largest arts festival nationwide. There is the Cango Marathon and the Mountain bike tour “To Hell and back”. It no longer sounds so strange if you know that ‘De Hel’ is a town located next to Oudtshoorn. And wherever you come here, everywhere you see the beautiful fynbos growing and blooming. If you drive south for an hour, you will arrive in the coastal town of George.

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