PRINCE ALBERT

A quaint and well-preserved village at the foot of the Swartberg Pass, Prince Albert (400km from Cape Town) is the quintessential Karoo dorp. There is no ignoring its visual appeal: pretty streets of Cape-Dutch, Victorian and Karoo houses with corrugated-iron roofs, fly-screen doors, shuttered windows and cool stoeps. Unlike the surrounding peppercorn plain, the village is a verdant oasis, thanks to a perennial spring that trickles down a system of furrows along the sidewalks. The entire town can be explored on foot – both the main street and the dusty residential neighbourhood are a pleasure. At sunset the village lies more often than not under a golden glow and the silver church steeple shimmers against the dusk sky – this is Prince Albert at its best.

Things To Do
  • When in Prince Albert, do as Prince Albertinians do. Slotting into the sleepy village lifestyle is easy as pie. Start the day with a visit to the local dairy for fresh milk, yoghurt and cheese. Move along to the Saturday market for fruit and veggies, hot bread, jams and pickles. Kill the afternoon with a siesta, followed by moerkoffie and beskuit. Then, as the air begins to cool, rouse yourself and explore the back streets and gracious old buildings, 13 national monuments among them.
     
  • Of course, you can also play fatcat tourist in Prince Albert. Many flock to the village for the drive through its southern gateways – the Swartberg Pass and Meiringspoort. Some of these tourists motor in one way, take a bed for the night, and zoom out the other. A few even squeeze the spectacular but tortuous journey to Gamkaskloof into the itinerary, driving in and out the same day. Personally, we think they’re nuts.
     
  • Prince Albert has a good sprinkling of restaurants. The Karoo Kombuis (tel 023-541 1110) is good for an evening meal of traditional boerekos – your hosts are three former SAA cabin attendants. Down the road, Café Albert (tel 023-541 1175) is relaxed and good for all day breakfast. The Swartberg Hotel (tel 023-541 1332) is open to non-residents, with a steakhouse housed in the same building. The Swartberg also has a pub where you can discuss property prices with ex-pats who have been buying up the town. A couple of other eateries are scattered about the village, not all of them impressive – Captain Getaway swears the one he visited for morning coffee uses shaving cream in the cappuccinos.