Babylonstoren
Babylonstoren is one of the oldest farms in the Cape. Simon van der Stel granted the farm Babylonstoren to burgher Pieter van der Byl. Until that time, the Drakenstein Valley had been inhabited by nomadic Khoisan for centuries. Pieter van der Byl planted the first vineyards on the farm and altered the water courses to provide irrigation.
Some of the farm’s earliest structures remain on the farm. Babylonstoren’s Cape Dutch werf is typical of the architectural style of the 17th and 18th centuries. It is considered to be one of the best-preserved farmyards in the Cape today. The original buildings include a manor house dating back to 1777, a Koornhuis (for storing wheat), an old cellar and an ornate fowl house.
The dovecote, the leaning bell tower and the historic gates date back to the 1750s. The old cowshed was renovated to accommodate the Babel restaurant. New accommodation was added for the Farm Hotel, careful planning ensured that the design was sympathetic with the architecture of the original buildings. This offers an authentic experience of 1700s Boland farm life, with all the luxury of modern convenience.
Today, Babylonstoren is a farm, a farm hotel, a restaurant, a greenhouse, a bakery, a larder, a spa, a cellar, and a learning centre for our people. Babylonstoren is also home to an organic food garden of great diversity: eight acres of vegetables and aromatic herbs.
Babylonstoren Gardens
The design of the Babylonstoren gardens on 3,5 hectares (8 acres) was inspired by the Company’s Garden in Cape Town. Since the 1600s, this garden in the city supplied ships sailing between Europe and Asia with vegetables and fruit. The garden also pays homage to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which are mythologically attributed to Nebuchadnezzar, who lived in the sixth century BC.
The garden at Babylonstoren was designed by French architect Patrice Taravella. It includes vegetable patches and orchards of fruit and nuts. There are areas planted with fragrant indigenous plants. On the property is a prickly pear maze to get lost in and a mass of trees of historical or botanical significance. It features more than 300 varieties of trees and thousands of plant species.
Other features are a Healing Garden, a Succulent House, and a Spice House, which tells the story of the spice trade with the East.
The tour of the fruit and vegetable garden starts at the Farm Shop at 10h00 daily, and during the week, you can join their special collections garden tour, which also departs from the Farm Shop at 11h30. Depending on the time of year, guests will be taken to see the succulent collection, the cycads next to the stream, or for a walk through the Healing Garden. Garden tours continue,e whatever the weather. You could also join one of the hands-on workshops given by their chefs and gardeners.
Children will love to visit Old Bullfrog, a water wonderland featuring creatures from their garden, such as frogs and lizards. The centre of the park has a big bullfrog fountain. The garden also includes a prickly pear maze!
Other activities children will enjoy
- Feeding the donkeys
- Cooling down in the ponds and fountains
- Visiting the chickens, ducks and turkeys
- Hiding in the large bird nests
- picking and eating fruit from the trees
- It is essential to Book for the Garden Tours and Workshops.
