5 Reasons To Visit Franschhoek

Franschhoek is one of those enchanting towns in the Cape Winelands you can never get enough of. You can expect nothing less than majestic mountain scenery, lush vineyards and quaint European feel of the sidewalk shops and restaurants along the main road.

Franschhoek Valley is among the most breathtaking wine valleys in the entire world with its senses of intimacy and mystery that make every tourist feel extremely welcome. It comes as no surprise that Franschhoek is known as the culinary capital of South Africa. Of the top 10 restaurants in South Africa, Franschhoek has three and one in the top 50 worldwide.

If that’s not enough reason to visit the beautiful Franschhoek Valley, here are five more reasons to spoil yourself and travel to this beautiful wine region:

1. Wine, wine and more wine
Because you can’t drive past this side of the world without passing a good number of wine farms most of which offer wine tasting sessions and tours. They’re also relatively affordable and have some of the finest and top of the range wines on offer. A unique way to discover the picturesque vineyards, breathtaking scenery and, of course, excellent wines of the Franschhoek wine valley is The Franschhoek Wine Tram hop-on hop-off tour. The tour starts at the Franschhoek Wine Tram ticket office on the main road and departs every 40 minutes.

2. Culinary Heaven
There are some unique places where you can go out and grab a bite. Franschhoek is renowned for its world-class cuisine, and the town’s restaurants take its status as The Gourmet Capital of South Africa seriously. The 36 Franschhoek Eateries, and 4 South African 5-star chefs, continuously produce cuisine that your palate falls in love with. Among these are the restaurants on the various wine farms in the region.

3. Explore the outdoors
Franschhoek Valley features a lot of activities, so it may be hard to decide if you have only a couple of days to experience it all. But there’s something for every taste, and you’ll never get bored. If you enjoy walking or hiking, you will find fantastic walking trails in the mountains around the valley, particularly in the Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve. The various other activities offered in the area are cycling, horse-riding, fly fishing and golf.

4. Marvelous nature and breathtaking views of the mountains
The area offers breathtaking views, gorges and valleys, as well as beautiful places to stay by the river. Aim to enter Franschhoek from the incredible route called Franschhoek Pass, and you’ll be astonished by the surrounding mountain ranges and divine landscape.

5. World-class accommodation
It must be something in the water because the accommodation establishments in Franschhoek have managed to get it just right. Apart from the gorgeous natural setting, you can always expect excellent service.

One thing is for certain – Franschhoek is a place that has so much to offer. Do yourselves a favour and go check it out. You won’t be sorry.