News

The valley was originally settled in 1688 by 176 French Huguenot refugees, many of whom were given land by the Dutch government in a valley called Olifantshoek (“Elephants’ corner”), so named because of the elephants that crossed into the valley to calve. The name of the area soon changed to le Coin Français (“the French Corner”), and later to Franschhoek (Dutch for “French Corner”), with many of the settlers naming their new farms after the areas in France from which they came.  These farms have grown into renowned wineries.

This heritage is shown today by the Huguenot Monument which stands at the end of the town. The museum nearby chronicles the history of the first settlers, with each of the original Huguenot farms having its own fascinating story to tell. The Cape Dutch architecture in much of the village is unspoilt, as restrictions have been placed on the extent of renovations and new construction in order to preserve the spirit of the original settlers to the area.

In (year), Keith Stewart (inventor, hotelier, etc.), decided to put down roots in the beautiful valley of Franschoek in South Africa’s western cape. As those roots began to grow, so did a love of wine which had found roots there in the 1600’s when Hugenot settlers arrived there from France and began to plant their precious vines. As the grapes take their sweet life from the earth and the air, so have many artists and vintners found inspiration to create unique art and special flavours from the perfect atmosphere. The wine and the art found a shared life in the Franschoek valley, one in which the very soil fed the beautiful produce and the air itself was the source of creative life for all who chose to live there. Franschoek Farm, the home of Keith Stewart, has now with an online resource, extended the opportunity to others to participate in the bounty of this beautiful South African valley.