Earlier this year, Franschhoek was added to TIME’s list of the World’s Greatest Places. Known as a wine-producing town, Franschhoek earned its spot due to its different wineries and their corresponding restaurants. MatieMedia’s Karla de Bod delved into this picturesque town’s history.
Founded in 1688, Franschhoek was a quiet town and typically Victorian in character, according to Richard von Hoesslin, a Franschhoek resident and founding member of the town’s tourism body. “The dominating factor for Franschhoek and the valley was, and still remains, the beauty,” he says. PHOTO: Karla de Bod
About 40 years ago, Franschhoek consisted of one petrol station and a small Spar, according to a local.
Today, the town has an unmistakable European atmosphere to it – the streets are lined with wineries, restaurants, boutique stores and luxury accommodation.
How did this change come about?
A town woken up by visitors
“In 1983, there were no restaurants besides three hotels, no guest houses or self-catering units,” recalls Richard von Hoesslin, a Franschhoek resident who has been living in the town for 39 years. “It possessed one petrol station situated in the centre of the village opposite the town hall, where one had to pump the units to fill one’s vehicle. There was only one winery, namely the Franschhoek Co-op, and the only other one was in the valley … Bellingham Wines.”
Von Hoesslin arrived in Franschhoek in 1983 and experienced how the town slowly but surely started to fill up with curious visitors who were seeking change.
For a town to be one of the greatest places globally, it should have unique and authentic experiences offered in a way that it is relatable to all markets, according to Zenith van Wyk, manager at Klein Goederust. “It should leave visitors with a feeling and urge to come back,” says Van Wyk. PHOTO: Karla de Bod
“Through the latter part of the 1980’s, Franschhoek seemed to be woken up by visitors looking for something quaint, something beautiful and property not as expensive as its surrounding agriculturally booming towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl, Elgin and Grabouw, and Somerset West,” he says.
Over the last twenty years, Franschhoek has become the epitome of upmarket, countryside living. This is according to Jac Hanekom, a property practitioner for Harcourts Winelands real estate company.
The Bishopscourt of the Boland
Franschhoek has slowly but surely transformed into the Bishopscourt of the Boland, says Hanekom.
“The proximity to Cape Town, pristine environment, breathtaking views, general safety, proximity to good schools and access to great medical care, have turned Franschhoek into a desirable real estate market,” says Hanekom. “As such, we have seen phenomenal growth in real estate values.”
A house that cost R800 000 in 2001, now sells for R8.5 million, Hanekom explains. The relatively limited number of properties drives this upward price trend, he adds.
This urbanisation of the village has also been impacted due to the town’s increased tourism, according to Hanekom.
Tourists in town
In the last 40 years, tourism has had a dramatic and positive influence on the town’s level of employment, and also contributed to the restoration of old Victorian homes, growth in quality restaurants, the hospitality sector, quality of wine, upmarket shopping, quality of farms and more, says Von Hoesslin.
Siegfried Schäfer, editor of the Franschhoek Tatler, believes that Franschhoek’s “beautiful scenery all around and year round, walkable and rideable size, and cosmopolitan vibe” is what makes the town one of the greatest places in the world. PHOTO: Karla de Bod
“The tourism expansion has been of a multifaceted nature; accommodation, restaurants, wineries, shops and outdoor activities have all seen growth in numbers and quality,” Von Hoesslin adds. “All of which did not exist 40 years ago when I settled in the valley.”
In 1990, Von Hoesslin was invited to be a founding member of the tourism body for Franschhoek, which was the beginning of what is now Franschhoek Wine Valley Tourism. Von Hoesslin says his invitation was mostly based on his knowledge of the farmers in the area, who were getting agitated with the number of vehicles that were starting to pass through town at a snail’s pace.
According to Hanekom, they are very wary of not becoming the proverbial tourist trap. “As such, tourism is focussed on agricultural related activities such as winemaking, farm restaurants, farm stays, wine tram tours, ect.”
In terms of developing tourism infrastructure on farms, the latest Stellenbosch municipality zoning scheme has implemented stronger restrictions on what types of tourism infrastructure is allowed on farms, Hanekom explains.
This is done in effort to reduce the commercialisation of the valley.
“Farms are also not allowed to subdivide further, which ensures that the agricultural spirit of the valley is maintained,” says Hanekom.
A community more than its commodities
“Beautiful. Inspiring. Cultured,” says Siegfried Schäfer, editor of the Franschhoek Tatler, as he describes the town. According to Schäfer, Franschhoek’s attraction lies in a combination of factors that are by themselves not unique to Franschhoek, such as wine, food, art and sceneries. However, it is not the town’s attraction that makes the town.
“It has to be a great place to live [in]. If it’s not that, it becomes a soulless tourist theme park, like many places in Europe discovered too late,” says Schäfer.
“The wine farms are definitely one of the biggest attractions, but we have some amazing restaurants and a huge variety of mountains and walks people could participate in,” says Janet Roets, a resident of Franschhoek that has been living in the town since 2008. “Franschhoek feels like Europe – very much a bubble and you feel the difference when you come here.”
For Aviv Liebenberg, chef and partner at Let’s Frite, a new restaurant in town, their experience in Franschhoek has been “wonderful”. They now form part of a wide range of restaurants in town, but the close-knit community makes the town much more than its commodities, says Liebenberg.
“Franschhoek is a very close-knit community and we have received great support from the locals,” says Liebenberg. “[In Franschhoek, people] experience a true winelands setting that is peaceful and still gives you that small-town feel with great food, wine and exceptional art.”
Small businesses, big contributions
The town sets itself apart from other places in the area as its top quality and close proximity wineries and restaurants are backdropped by beautiful surroundings – some of which are held secret among the locals, according to Ludwig Maske, who has been running a business in town since 1984.
“Franschhoek is really one main street and you can do the trip from top to bottom and back again in thirty minutes. We have some beautiful places outside the village which only the locals – and not all – know about. Visiting these sites to swim, walk and picnic is just bliss, but tourists will have to befriend a local [to see these sites],” says Maske.
Maske is the owner of La Cotte Inn, a wine and cheese shop in Franschhoek. He believes it is small businesses like theirs, instead of big-name shops, that contribute to the atmosphere of the town which visitors come to experience.
“For 14 years I’ve stayed [in Franschhoek] because it’s an extremely visually captivating place to stay,” says Janet Roets, a resident of Franschhoek. “Every day I appreciate my surroundings; the mountains, the quaint businesses and the people make it so special.” PHOTO: Karla de Bod
“One thing [locals] don’t want is change. The village atmosphere must remain as is,” says Maske. “We already have too many franchises here and they kill off all the unique small businesses, as is happening throughout SA.”
Maske runs his shop with his wife, Lodine. He oversees the wine and she imports the cheese from France. “In our small way, we stand up against big businesses,” says Maske.
A quiet past shaping the lively present
Klein Goederust is Franschhoek’s first black-owned wine farm and is more than 100 years old. While being one of the first wineries to be established in town, Zenith van Wyk, manager at the winery, believes the town’s authenticity, hospitality and generosity is what allows Franschhoek to still add to its history.
“The history of the town and the history of every farm and every corner of Franschhoek just carries so much significance,” says Van Wyk.
For Van Wyk, the manner in which the town actively work together to preserve its history and tell its stories, is what makes Franschhoek one of the greatest places in the world.