Nearest Airport
: Cape Town International
at 80
Kilometres
Nearest Beach
: The Strand
at 50
Kilometres
Nearest Barpub
: The Railway, Franschhoek
at 0.5
Kilometres
Nearest Golf
: Pearl Valley Resort
at 15
Kilometres
Nearest Restaurant
: Several in the Village
at 1
Kilometres
Car: necessary
A short walk from Le Bijou is the center of Franschhoek, the food and wine capital of South Africa. It nestles in one of the world’s most beautiful valleys, surrounded on three sides by the magnificent Great Drakenstein Mountains and on the lower slopes by vineyards that make it the food lovers’ delight. The scenery is breathtaking, with top class restaurants throughout the village and up in the hills that make dining in the evening whilst watching the sun go down, one of the greatest pleasures imaginable.
The Franschhoek Valley was first settled by French Huguenot refugees in 1688. They brought European culture and winemaking to Africa which has grown in the valley to make it one of the most important wine regions in South Africa. With 42 wine estates, producing some of the world’s finest wines, most are easy to visit and enjoy.
In Franschhoek itself, the main street is the heart of this vibrant village. It is lined with shops, restaurants, cafes and bars as well as arts and crafts studios and galleries. The countryside offers energetic hiking, walking, cycling, horse-riding, fly fishing and golf.
It is truly a magical place.
It is also geographically well placed for other parts of the Western Cape. It is centrally positioned within the greater part of the Winelands area and is within easy reach by a good road network of many places around region that are worthy of visiting.
Within half hour's drive away are the towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Wellington. A further half an hour will take you to Cape Town, with its V&A Waterfront and Table Mountain, Hermanus and the Worcester and Robertson winelands.
The nearest beaches are about half an hour away at Strand and Gordon's Bay. A little further are the magnificent beaches around Cape Town; on the Atlantic Seaboard are the beaches of Blouberg, Clifton, Llandudno and Camp's Bay; a little further south the beaches of Hout Bay and Noordhoek; and on False Bay those at Fishhoek and, especially for wind surfers, Muizenberg.
