The Cape Winelands is filled with a wide array of wonderful tourist attractions – world-class restaurants, stunning wineries, outdoor activities, and luxurious accommodation and spa offerings – but some of its lesser-known gems include its winelands museums and other cultural attractions.
In this article, I share some of the best Cape Winelands museums and cultural attractions for young and old to enjoy, ranging from a motor museum to a sculpture garden.
Cape Dutch history: Various wine farms and local monuments
It may be obvious, but often the best way to savour our local Cape history and heritage is simply through our wine farms. We are blessed to have so many truly historic estates that pay homage to the history and people who came before us.
Some of my favourite wine farms for soaking up culture or heritage first-hand include Vergelegen, Boschendal, Vergenoegd Löw, and Steenberg, to name a few. (You can read all about these historic estates here.)
Beyond that, the Cape Winelands also has some famous monuments, like Franschhoek’s Huguenot Memorial Monument or Paarl’s beloved Afrikaanse Taalmuseum and Monument. These monuments and museums honourably showcase powerful elements of culture, language, beauty, and nature.
A bonus is that, except for certain wine farms (like Vergelegen and Babylonstoren) and some monuments and museums, most of these Cape wine farms and cultural attractions are actually free to visit and provide a wonderful learning experience for tourists and locals alike.
Best Cape Winelands museums and cultural attractions
Franschhoek Motor Museum
The beautiful Franschhoek Motor Museum, located at L’Ormarins, is undoubtedly one of South Africa’s most interesting museum offerings.
Covering more than a hundred years’ worth of automotive history, this museum is a must-see for car enthusiasts, history buffs, and, quite honestly, everyone in between!
Children and adults alike will have a blast here, as they browse more than 220 different vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and other automotive memorabilia, with some 80 different, rotating exhibits available at any given time.
The exhibits, which feature attractions like the 1898 Beeston motor tricycle or vintage favourites spanning from 1919 to 1930, are spread between four carefully dehumidified halls, which take up a total floor area of 2700 m².
Furthermore, the museum attractions are carefully presented in chronological order from Antique (before 31 December 1904) up to Post-60 (built after 1 January 1961).
Beyond this incredible museum, guests can also enjoy a snack at the deli, book a curated museum tour, or even catch a tram ride to nearby Anthonji Rupert Wines for a lovely wine tasting experience.
- Opening hours: Monday - Friday, 10h00 to 17h00 | Saturday - Sunday and public holidays, 10h00 to 16h00. The museum is closed on Good Friday and Christmas Day.
- Tickets: Please note that you can book your visit online. Alternatively, you can book your tickets when you visit the museum. However, please be advised that the museum is cashless and it only accepts electronic payments.
The Glass Museum at Glenelly Estate
Another exciting Cape Winelands museum attraction is the hidden gem that is Glenelly’s Glass Museum. It features May de Lencquesaing’s spectacular glass collection, which is actually one of the world’s largest privately owned collections.
You can explore 2000 years of glassmaking, with everything from Roman relics to contemporary masterpieces found on display here.
The museum is a celebration of fine craftsmanship and brings together elegance, history and beauty in a unique space.
Interestingly enough, parallels are also drawn between wine and glass, as both hail from seemingly humble beginnings, yet, over the years, they have both been magically transformed and refined through human artistry.
The Glass Museum features some 600 pieces, with treasures from Bohemia, England, Sweden, Venice and France. There are also some incredible Art Nouveau and Art Deco pieces by Daum and Tiffany, as well as modern-day works by the likes of Lino Tagliapietra, Salvador Dalí and Jean-Claude Novarro.
Another highlight is the film screenings from Corning University, which offer fresh insight into the delicate world of glassmaking.
While visiting the Glass Museum, why not also enjoy lunch at Glenelly’s restaurant, The Vine Bistro, or sample some estate wine in the tasting room?
- Opening hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 10h00 to 17h00 | Sunday, 10h00 to 15h00.
- Tickets: Museum admission is free.
Babylonstoren's Story of Wine museum
Babylonstoren is a wine farm that offers many attractions, from its beautiful gardens and farm shops to its eateries and tasting room, hotel accommodation and spa. But one of its most exciting, still-new additions is the beautiful Wine Museum.
This modern museum tells the story behind mankind’s love affair with wine. It takes guests on a unique journey through the history of winemaking.
You learn about wine’s origins, various cultivation methods and, of course, the culture behind the grape. Along the way, the Story of Wine also shares insights into unique cultural events that have shaped both global winemaking- and drinking-heritage.
Highlights among the stunning displays and interactive exhibits include a bottle of 1821 Constantia dessert wine, as well as some sensory experiences, like the screening room (which is essentially a ‘cinematic vat’, as it’s shaped and designed like a wine barrel) and the chance to guess wine flavour profiles through touch.
All in all, the museum is a fun outing for both children and adults. Before or after your museum outing, why not explore Babylonstoren’s beautiful gardens, pop into their farm shops, enjoy a wine tasting and/or restaurant meal or even book an accommodation stay or spa treatment?
And, for some added cultural and historic experiences, visit Babylonstoren’s Soetmelksvlei, an interactive, late 19th century-style farmyard. It allows guests to step back in time to when our world moved at a much slower pace.
- Opening hours: The museum is open daily from 10h00 to 17h00. (During 13-23 December, the wine museum hours are extended until 19h00.) Closed on Christmas Day.
- Tickets: Admission to the museum is free, however, Babylonstoren has paid entry. Estate entrance fee is R150 per adult, while children under 18 enjoy free entry to Babylonstoren.
Vergelegen's heritage and garden tour
Vergelegen is one of the Western Cape’s most historically fascinating wine farms. Indeed, it is an estate that has gone to great, painstaking lengths to honour and preserve unique Cape history.
With legends of hidden treasure, careful documentation of the estate’s former owners and even a sobering reminder of the abhorrent slave trade of yesteryear sensitively depicted at the farm, it is clear that Vergelegen takes a refreshingly honest approach to preserving both history and culture.
In 2019, largely for their authentic depictions of Cape heritage and for their 17 gorgeous gardens (which tell a living story of Vergelegen’s past, present and future), Vergelegen was declared a Provincial Heritage Site and it has also been nominated as a World Heritage Site.
While Vergelegen offers so much for guests to enjoy – environmental and cellar tours, wine tasting, restaurants and a tea room, picnics, the Potting Shed Gift Shop, and a new hiking trail – it is perhaps the garden and heritage above all else that are truly unique and special.
Visitors have the opportunity to book a Heritage and Garden tour with a knowledgeable tour guide, allowing them to discover the beauty of Vergelegen from the ground up.
Tour highlights include the 200-year-old library, the 300-year-old Cape Dutch Homestead, special trees (including the camphor trees, which were declared a national monument in 1942) and of course, the stunning, themed garden spaces.
Having done several self-guided tours and more recently an official, guided Heritage and Garden Tour here, I can attest to the value of exploring Vergelegen in this way, especially once all the lighthearted adventuring and feasting is done.
- Opening hours: 09h30 (departs from the Tasting Room). Tours must be booked a minimum of 24 hours in advance. Please note: Tours are strictly weather-dependent.
- Tickets: Excluding the estate’s daily entry fee, the tour cost is R100 per person. No prepayment is necessary, as you can settle the cost on the day of your tour experience. Tours run for approximately 75 minutes and are suitable for a maximum of 20 guests.
- To book a guided tour, please contact the Tasting Room on 021 847 2122 or winetasting@vergelegen.co.za.
Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden
The Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden is another incredible cultural art experience in the Cape Winelands. Truthfully, this garden is one of the most enchanting places I have ever visited.
With more than 60 incredible works created by internationally acclaimed South African artist and sculptor, Dylan Lewis, spread throughout the garden — this beautiful sculpture garden promises a glimpse into “the wilderness within”, while also contrasting two worlds (that is, the leafy, suburban streets of Stellenbosch on one side and the rugged mountains, where leopards roam, on the other).
During your visit, although you can explore the old storeroom and studio rooms, a personal highlight of mine is The Pavilion. It’s an award-winning steel structure, designed by architect Enrico Daffonchio, that originally formed part of an exhibition at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.
Within this structure, you can browse additional artworks and marvel at the beauty of the building itself, which offers stunning views of the garden.
What’s more, from the terraces situated above the structure, guests can enjoy spectacular views of Table Mountain, False Bay and Cape Point.
If, during your outing, you need to replenish your energy levels (and you will because the garden takes a good few hours to explore if you do it right), the Old Storeroom — cleverly repurposed by Dylan’s wife, Karen Malpage Lewis, into a little seasonal apparel shop and coffee spot, complete with good coffee and teas, pastries and cool refreshments — is ideal.
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 08h30 to 17h00. Visits are strictly by appointment only.
- Tickets: Guests can choose from self-guided or guided tours, although the cost varies accordingly. For self-guided tours, standard garden entry is R240 per person, while children under 18 enjoy free access.
- To book a tour or visit, please see their website or contact them directly on 021 880 0054, or email reservations@dylanart.co.za.
Spice Route Destination
While something of a modern take, Paarl’s Spice Route Destination is another wonderful cultural experience for young and old to savour in our beautiful Winelands region.
Here, amid the slew of eateries, breweries and artisanal shops available to visitors, there is also a historical tale to be discovered, as this travel destination gives a thoughtful historic nod to the 15th century Spice Route, which saw mariners transport Eastern spices to Europe, via the route, for trading purposes.
Another historic aspect of Spice Route Destination is the farm it’s located on, which was originally called Leeuwenjagt (“hunting lions”) and which dates back to 1693.
Today, Spice Route Destination offers visitors the chance to savour a selection of authentic artisanal and agricultural products, from exotic spices and teas at Brenda’s Preserves and Nigiro Tea Merchants to excellent Spice Route wines, craft beers, and craft gins. You can also tuck into an array of foods from pizza and carefully made chocolates to ice cream and everything in between.
Spice Route Destination is hugely family friendly with beautiful outdoor spaces and impressive winelands views.
Another drawcard is the Spice Route passport, which gives you access to great tastings via a fun passport-stamping experience, or the Explorer Voucher, which is great for larger groups.
- Opening hours: Spice Route Destination itself is open daily from 09h00 to 17h00. However, vendors have their own respective opening houfind these listed individually on the Spice Route website.)
- Tickets: Spice Route Destination is free to visit. Walk-ins are welcome, although groups of 10 or more must book in advance. If you wish to get a Spice Route passport, it costs R320 per person. An Explorer Voucher, meanwhile, costs R65; this option is perfect for group and year-end functions.
These are just some of the excellent museums and cultural attractions in our Cape Winelands and no matter whether you are an appreciator of history, culture or wine, they offer something fun and educational for you to enjoy!
Photos: All photos were taken by Tamlyn Ryan.