Church Square
As you drive into Genadendal, it looks much like any other country dorp. Crumbling houses and dirt streets lead off the main road, while wrinkly old folk watch the passing parade from their peeling stoeps.
It is only when you reach Church Square in the centre of the town that the unique appeal of Genadendal becomes apparent. This serene square, bordered with grand old oak trees, is like something out of a storybook.
Dominated by the double-storey bulk of the old Moravian Church itself, Church Square also offers a museum, a coffee shop selling home-made bread, a craft shop and a soon-to-be completed accommodation block; all housed in old cottages that double as National Monuments.
At the back of the square is the fruit orchard and the old cemetery, full of priests. The whole complex has a restful, tranquil atmosphere, and the wind ruffles the leaves in the tall oaks, as horses wander freely through this placid precinct. All in all, it is an enchanting place to sit and relax.
Khoi Camp Museum
The reconstructed Khoi Camp at Genadendal is housed on museum grounds and attracts visitors from around South Africa.
In the early 19th century the missionaries encouraged the Khoi inhabitants of Genadendal to forsake their nomadic lifestyle, settle permanently on the mission station, build permanent clay brick houses, cultivate the land and enjoy a Christian education.
The material used to build the Khoi Camp is Cape Papyrus, which grows all along the banks of the water streams in the Western Cape. During summer time the reeds are cut and stored in the museum attic to dry. The choice of this building material can be traced back centuries ago. It has got a tough and supple fibre and the mats made from it can be rolled up and transported on the backs of oxen. After a beehive shaped framework had been constructed, the mats were thrown over it. Traditionally the reeds were pierced and woven together with the same material, which was platted into string. This, however, is a difficult art and today the museum is using hessian string instead.
Cradled in a small nook of the Riviersonderend Mountains is the town of Genadendal (the Valley of Grace). Genadendal is blessed with a rich ...