Floral Oasis
Gravel roads are the only way to get to Wupperthal in the Western Cape, where it slumbers way off-the-beaten track in the remote Tra-Tra Valley. Craggy Cederberg peaks ruck up all round this near-forgotten mission town located about 75km southeast of Clanwilliam, so do not expect it to be an easy drive.
However, once you have navigated the bone-shaking Pakhuis and Kouberg Passes, you will be amply rewarded by stunning views across a lush village set amidst the sandstone abandon of the Cederberg wilderness.
Founded in 1830 by two Rhenish missionaries and named after the Wupper River in Germany, the village attracted many freed slaves after 1838. In 1865, it was absorbed into the Moravian Church and remained mostly unchanged for 150 years.
Latter-day visitors to Wupperthal will still see the old thatched church built in 1834, a rustic shop and tea room, a post office, a school built in 1842, a community hall and a few rows of neat thatched white cottages.
The Wupperthal flower season from August to September sees the arid slopes around Wupperthal burst into vibrant bloom for a few weeks to signal the annual tourism influx.
The Cape Rock Route is a self-drive route of wild rocks and towering mountain passes - arguably one the most dramatic and scenic routes in t...
The majestic Cederberg and tranquil Tra-Tra Valley is definitely Wupperthal’s major draw card, with springtime from August / September br...