From cosy guesthouses to self-catering flats, Somerset West offers a variety of lodging options. The Hottentots Holland region, which is in the very centre of the Cape Winelands, is where it is located. About a 30-minute journey on the N2 from Cape Town takes you to Somerset West, which is located in the Hottentots Holland region (national road). This residential area is conveniently located near Stellenbosch, and many Somerset West residents commute every day to Cape Town.
Lord Charles Henry Somerset, an English administrator of the Cape Colony in the 1800s, was the inspiration for the name Somerset West, which was given the suffix “West” to distinguish it from Somerset East, another South African town in the Eastern Cape. Several beaches that are located in False Bay and border the Atlantic Ocean are easily accessible from Somerset West. Families and vacationers like Strand beach, which is the closest and is about 6 kilometres from the town centre.
The wine property, Vergelegen, is located in Somerset West and is an excellent Cape Dutch-style farmhouse from the 18th century. A division of the major mining corporation Anglo American, which currently owns the estate, has restored the farmhouse to its former splendour and continues to make some of South Africa’s best wines there.
“Candles By Candelight” is a well-liked Christmas custom that has been held yearly at Vergelegen for the past 20 years. On the expansive lawns of this spectacular wine farm, guests are asked to bring a picnic basket, blanket, and torch and share the pleasure of Christmas with family and friends.
Another Christmas custom is the annual lighting of the Main Road in Somerset with holiday lights. Every year, visitors from all over the nation pause down to admire the magnificent display of twinkling lights, bells, angels, reindeer, candles, and much more as they travel down the Main Road. When the Main Road is closed off in the evening and floats, parades, and flea market stalls are lined up beneath the lights, the Helderberg Lights Festival (also known as the Strawberry Festival) traditionally complements these lights. The whole family will have a great time on this trip!