Car Rental Stellenbosch

Introduction

Stellenbosch is located in the heart of the South African wine region. It's the country's second-oldest city, where you'll still find many houses from the days the Cape was a Dutch colony. The city's center houses the best-preserved buildings from the days of the Dutch East India Company. Stellenbosch also houses one of the oldest universities in South Africa, which guarantees an exuberant nightlife. The Stellenrijck Museum is dedicated to the history of wine making.

Population

The city has almost 120,000 inhabitants.

Location

Stellenbosch is located in the southwest of South Africa, in the Western Cape Province, only 55 kilometers from Cape Town. The city lies in the valley of the First River, surrounded by hills and mountains. The highest peaks lie south of the city with the Victoria Peak (1590 meters) being the highest.

Economy

Together with Paarl and Franschhoek, Stellenbosch forms the largest and main winegrowing area of South Africa. The wines from this region are of top quality. Approximately 1 billion liters of wine are produced here annually. In Stellenbosch a lot of viticulture research is done, for example at the university, which is attended by approximately 25,000 students.

Airports

The nearest airport is Cape Town International Airport which is situated west of Stellenbosch and which is reachable by rental car within half an hour. From the city center you first take the Alexander Road and then Adam Tas, Baden Powell Drive (R310) and freeway N2 to the airport. The way is clearly signposted.

Public Transport

Stellenbosch has no public transport, but there are regional bus connections with for example Cape Town, Paarl and Strand. The city also has a train station, but the MetroRail trains run very irregularly.

Traffic and Parking

Stellenbosch' center is small and you can visit the main places of interest by foot. There are no street signs; the names of the streets are indicated in yellow letters near the curb. Stellenbosch has sufficient parking facilities. A rental car is ideal if you want to visit the Stellenbosch Wine Route: a trip along the nicest vineyards of the region.

Hotels

Stellenbosch has a large variety of accommodations. You can stay in a dormitory at the Backpackers Lodge, but also in an elegant and luxurious room at D'Ouwe Werf. Also fun and elegant, but less expensive is the Oude Leeszaal which has been turned into a guesthouse. There are also several other guesthouses, lodges and midrange hotels in Stellenbosch and surroundings.

External Sources

For more information about Stellenbosch, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Stellenbosch
• Official website Stellenbosch
• Tourist Information Stellenbosch