If the world is your oyster, then Paarl could very well be your pearl – and you most certainly will not need a Shakespearean sword to get to it! It is impossible to miss the grandeur of Paarl Rock, the ‘pearl’ this town proudly wears in its ‘crown’ at the top of the Paarl Mountains. The town’s name, derived from the Dutch word Parel, refers to this bulbous granite outcrop with its smooth, flawless appearance. Like a glistening black pearl, it is visible from miles away in all its breathtaking beauty. Also visible from down below, is the Afrikaans Taal Monument, built against the southern slopes of Paarl Mountain, to acknowledge the rich influence of a variety of languages on the development of Afrikaans. Whether it is Dutch, Malay, Portuguese, Arabic, French, German, English, the indigenous Khoi or other African languages, you will probably find that your ancestors’ mother tongue contributed in some way to the cosmopolitan Afrikaans language we know today.
As one of the oldest towns in South Africa, Paarl is the commercial centre of the Boland in the Cape Winelands, as well as home to the Cape Wine Growers’ Association (the KWV). Together with Wellington, it forms part of the Drakenstein local municipality and is ideally situated a stone’s throw from Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Renowned for its famous schools and Mediterranean climate, Paarl is a sought-after town in which to raise your family. It also boasts a broad range of property from lifestyle and wine farms to beautiful Cape Dutch, Edwardian and Victorian houses, many of which is set amongst century old oak trees. Val de Vie is one of a number of exclusive estates just outside of town.
