Vergelegen Estate
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Founded in 1700 and now covering 3,000 hectares, the Vergelegen Estate is a botanist’s paradise, with 17 pristine gardens themed around painstakingly nurtured plant species including roses, camellias, hydrangeas, bamboo, oak trees, maple trees, and a pair of gingkos cultivated from the seeds of a 300-year-old tree that withstood the Hiroshima bombing of 1945. There is also a stud for the native Nguni cattle, which graze alongside antelopes, and various tours can introduce you to all of this important environmental work. Two restaurants might lure you inside – the flagship Camphors and bistro-style Stables – but you can remain amongst the evergreens with picnics stylishly served at tables bedecked in white linen.
Key Information
Location
Lourensford Rd, Somerset West, Western Cape, 7130
