Craggy mountains, knobbly old oak trees, curving Cape Dutch gables, endless rows of vineyards and orchards, and maybe a peaceful little farm dam. These are the things you’ll be daydreaming about after a trip to Tulbagh. Just an easy 90-minute drive from Cape Town, this charming little town in the Cape Winelands is all about rich history and stunning views, with loads to explore.
But don’t go thinking Tulbagh’s stuck in the past. Whether you want to sip wine and craft beer, hike through nature, or chase an adrenaline rush, there’s lots to do here. Or you can simply chill out and soak up the country vibe. Life moves slowly here, with wide-screen views, quiet moments, and a kind of beauty that seeps into your soul.
Quick tip: Pop into Tulbagh Tourism’s info centre at 38 Van der Stel Street to kick off your time in the area. Grab a map, get the lowdown on local attractions from the well-informed staff, and plan the rest of your adventure from there.
1. Visit the museums
Church Street in Tulbagh is a museum hotspot – there are four of them, all packed into this charming little stretch. Start at number 4, where you’ll find the Earthquake Museum. For a small fee, you can get a ticket that covers entry to all four museums in Church Street. This one dives into the catastrophic 1969 quake that shook the town to its core. It measured 6.3 on the Richter scale and killed 12 people, most of them children. It also gives fascinating insight into how historic Church Street was later rebuilt and restored. There’s a room that tells the stories of three settlements nearby that were completely wiped out after the quake, a haunting look at the homes that were demolished or their occupants moved.
The Oude Kerk should be your second stop on the museum trail. It’s one of the last surviving cruciform churches in South Africa and was built in 1743. The gable and ring-wall were added in 1795. When a new Dutch Reformed church was built in 1915, it fell into disuse but reopened as a museum in 1925. Admire the original pulpit, as well as some antique Cape Dutch furniture, not to mention an ornate symphonium which still plays music using changeable metal discs with punched patterns. There’s a small graveyard outside; there are even graves under the floor inside the church.
At 14 Church Street is a Victorian Period House built in 1892 that depicts the rather starchy lifestyle of rural middle-class families at this time, with its dark colours and overstuffed chairs. The back rooms house a Christo Coetzee art exhibition, showing off this South African artist’s varied styles over the years.
The kitchen at the Pioneer House Museum
The gabled building at 22 Church Street, built in 1803, was originally a postmaster’s house and is now the Pioneer House Museum. It portrays the daily life of a typical working-class family from the early 1800s to the 1920s.There’s a simple room with rietdak ceiling, a more formal voorkamer with wooden ceiling, a red-walled period kitchen with open hearth, and an eclectic collection of old kitchen implements, furniture and china.
2. Explore Church Street
At the end of the street furthest away from the Oude Kerk (see point 1) stands a kitchen garden inspired by Babylonstoren in the Franschhoek Valley. It’s laid out as a formal garden that grows fruit, veg and herbs to supply local restaurants and residents, while some products are donated to soup kitchens. Members of the local community are employed to tend the garden. It’s open to visitors, so wander around to admire the layout and produce, or ask about placing an order to be collected before you leave Tulbagh.
Hot tip: Find the path behind Ballotina at 43 Church Street and walk to the lookout hut on Galgeheuwel (Gallow’s Hill) for a view out over Church Street and Tulbagh and a chance to see some flowers in spring. You can get a better idea of the layout of the kitchen garden from up here too.
3. Visit Tulbagh wine farms for tasting
With around a dozen wine estates in this part of the Cape Winelands, you’re spoilt for choice. The price for tastings varies fairly widely from R50 to about R150, but this is sometimes swept away if you buy a few bottles afterwards
At Lemberg, you’ll be greeted by rows of white roses if you visit in October/November. The modern tasting room offers a chance to savour wines named after the estate’s bulldogs, like Lady, Spencer and Louis. Lemberg also produces wine from the Hungarian hárslevelü cultivar, so unusual and sought-after that there was none left for tasting when we visited.
Krone (Twee Jonge Gezellen) – home to the first underground cellar in Africa – is the place to go if you love your Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) wines. You get to taste a few of them, from sweeter Night Nectar types to rosé and brut, including the classic Krone Borealis Cuvée Brut made from chardonnay and pinot noir. If you choose to taste some of the older vintages, you’ll find them more honeyed but shy on the bubbles, just the way I like them. Book ahead.
Theuniskraal is a family-owned winery that will celebrate its centenary in 2028. The tasting room staff is knowledgeable and friendly, giving you insight into the farm’s history as well as the wines it produces. They make both whites and reds, which you can try paired with a cheese or charcuterie platter if you like. Don’t miss tasting these two out-of-the-ordinary wines: Cape Riesling – a cultivar not every estate still uses but is one of the first wines I remember drinking in my twenties; and Bouquet Blanc, made from gewürztraminer, with its floral flavours and spicy aroma, and a smidge of muscat. All the wines are delightfully affordable.
Montpellier wine estate is a must if only to appreciate its gorgeous little chapel in the vineyards (see the intro pic). For wine tasting, sit under a tree in the garden or follow the signs along peach-pip paths through the poplar forest to the Glass House with French doors on three sides. Choose a bubbly tasting or try a trio of their still wines. You can order a cheese platter or pizza to soak up some of the wine. In winter, tastings are in the cosy Bouval restaurant building with its giant fireplace.
