Prince Albert

Description

Prince Albert is a charming South African village, nestled beneath the Swartberg Mountain in the Karoo region of the Western Cape. Prince Albert offers a range of activities to enjoy, from wine, olive and cheese tasting, to star gazing and exploring historic attractions. View our range of Prince Albert accommodation.

The town of Prince Albert was founded in 1762 on the loan farm, De Queek Vallei, under the name “Albertsburg”. It was renamed to Prince Albert in 1845 to honour Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The town celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2012 and was voted the 2012 Western Cape winner for the “town of the year” competition.

Prince Albert enjoys a wonderful climate with a high sunshine index and clear, starry night skies. The town has become an increasingly popular tourist destination in recent years. In order to accommodate the influx of tourists, a range of accommodation, from guest houses to self-catering establishments, is available in Prince Albert.

Prince Albert is a favoured tourist destination for a number of reasons. It boasts a variety of beautifully preserved Cape Dutch, Karoo, and Victorian buildings, 13 of which are national monuments. Another 5 national monuments are situated in the region, including the Swartberg Pass and Gamkaskloof. Prince Albert is also home to the Karoo Labyrinth, Swartberg Nature Reserve, and Albert’s Mill, one of the last remaining working watermills in South Africa. Other activities to enjoy in Prince Albert include hiking, mountain biking, scenic drives, viewing fossilised reptile footprints, Weltevrede Game Drives, bird watching, and eco tours.

Activities to enjoy in Prince Albert include guided historical walks through the town, a stroll along “Gordon’s koppie”, or ghost walks in the evenings. Star gazers will enjoy Prince Albert’s clear night skies undistracted by city lights and star gazing tours with Astro Tours. Visit the Prince Albert Gallery, the weavery, and the Fransie Pienaar Museum where locals distill the notoriously potent “Witblitz”.

Prince Albert is well known for its agricultural heritage. It is popular for its sun-ripened fresh and dried fruit, especially figs and apricots. Karoo lamb, olives, olive oil, wine, and cheese are also popular Prince Albert delicacies. Visitors to Prince Albert can wander down to the dairy and buy fresh milk, cream, and yoghurt, or browse the Saturday market for fresh fruit and vegetables, freshly baked bread, homemade jams, and pickles. Alternatively, one can go cheese tasting at Gay’s Guernsey Dairy, olive tasting at Swartrivier Olive Farm and Kredouw Olive Farm, or wine tasting at Bergwater, Fernskloof, Reiersvlei, and SoetKaroo. As Prince Albert is situated at the centre of the mohair producing region of South Africa, visitors can browse the unique mohair products for sale in the village.

Experience all that Prince Albert has to offer and book a stay at one of our accommodations.