Lace-up your shoes and delve into generations of living history, traversing the breathtaking Dwarsrivier Valley. This Living History Tour – available as a walking or mountain biking tour – takes you into the heart and homes of the people of Pniël, Johannesdal and Kylemore. Discover the history and rich culture of these communities, originally settlements of former freed slaves, as you set off from the Dwarsrivier Tourism office in Pniël. Visit the Social Monuments at the Werf, the Pniël Museum, marvel at street art and pop in for a coffee break at a guest house in Johannesdal, at the foot of the majestic Simonsberg. Follow the Dwars Rivier on the Dream Stream trail to Kylemore, where you’ll visit a craft project initiative and church before ending off with lunch at Beker and Bord, a home dining experience.
Township and Village offers a range of unique and personal cultural experiences to social explorers seeking authentic local encounters. We enable visitors to see Stellenbosch through the eyes and hearts of its own people.
Expert community-based guides, leaders, non-profit representatives and local entrepreneurs share their first-hand knowledge and captivating stories of what it’s like to live, work and play in the communities surrounding Stellenbosch.
Visitors can discover the historical events that have shaped these communities over the decades, as well as the fascinating cultural melting pot whose energy you will feel in the streets as you explore and learn, with your enthusiastic guide leading the way.
Township and Village is a social enterprise, founded by the SEED Trust, with the objective to develop products and aid the entry of community-based tourism entrepreneurs into the formal Stellenbosch tourism economy. By booking with us, you are contributing directly to the economic growth and sustainability of the host community you are visiting.
The social enterprise is in partnership with Visit Stellenbosch, the official destination marketing organization, and forms a central part of the formal tourism sectors commitment to community-based tourism entrepreneurs.
Self-sustainable economic development is our central objective, and we are calling on schools, educational organizations, corporate companies and Stellenbosch residents to use our services and to support local economic development.