Merweville, Upper Karoo
For those who have not ventured into Merweville before, it is best described as: Edwardian dwellings meet the Gothic Merweville Moederkerk (mother church), in Hard Man's Karoo.
Set in the heart of possibly the driest part of the country, Merweville is all but dominated by its NG kerk, its imposing presence (the beams of the ceiling came from a shipwreck and the organ was built in Aberdeen, Scotland) all the more emphasised for its position on the slopes of Letterkop.
Far from flat, however, and despite the token rainfall of little more than 150 ml a year, this part of the northern Cape is a series of hills and valleys that seem to belie its aridness.
Lying north-west of the N1 where it meets the R353 east of Laingsburg, and south-west of Beaufort West, Merweville (or Mirville as the locals call it) sits in the gap between the Swart and Nuweveld mountains, the only water source the sometimes flowing, and somewhat distant, Buffels, Dwyka or Gamka Rivers. Hence the town's reliance on boreholes or windpumps, and the fact that few even pretend to farm here anymore.
Every road that leads into Merweville (there are several) is dirt, the sunburnt grit swept into eddies by cars that pass through. Few relate to this thirsty earth.
Don't assume all is muted stillness in Merweville. Word has it that the major annual event – the Dankfees – raises close to half a million for the church. And whilst nobody can claim the town is a Prince Albert in-the-making, the old-world charm and the few examples of Edwardian and Karoo-style homes make it worth a second glance.
In the vicinity
Hotels & other accommodation options
Die Prokureurshuis
Die Prokureurshuis provides Sutherland self catering accommodation in a typical Karoo Style house, which is one of the oldest properties in the a...
De Oude Pastorie
De Oude Pastorie offers accommodation in Victoria West, in the oldest house in the town. The home was the first parsonage of the Dutch Reformed C...
Anra Rusgenot
Anra Rusgenot is guest house situated in Richmond, exactly halfway between Johannesburg and Cape Town on the N1, and is ideal for a stopover or l...
Karoo Manor Guesthouse
Len and Pat are the owners of this old world charm destination in the centre of Richmond in the Karoo. Richmond is a town situated next to the N1...
Seisoen @ Kliphuijs
Seisoen Holiday Home has two bedrooms, both en-suite. The first bedroom is furnished with a King-size bed and he second bedroom is furnished with...
Camp Nguni
Camp Nguni offers accommodation in a wildlife reserve and is the ideal place to visit for those wanting to explore the Karoo. The luxury accommod...
Oppiplot Gastehuis
Oppiplot Gastehuis is a self catering guesthouse situated in the town of De Aar in the Northern Cape. Attractions in the area include Doornkloof ...
Boorgat Manor House 1881
Boorgat Manor House 1881 offers self-catering accommodation in Sutherland in one of the oldest houses in town. The housesleeps six adults and two...
Noteworthy attractions
Karoo Gariep Conservancy
Karoo is a “quenna” word meaning “dry and hard”. Gariep is also a “quenna” word meaning “big water”or river. The Karoo Gariep Concervancy is foun...
Tankwa Karoo National Park
The 80 000 hectare Tankwa Karoo National Park, proclaimed in 1986 and still in a development stage, is at present in a veld recovery phase and it...
Gariep Dam Nature Reserve
The Free State's largest nature reserve is a combination of the 36 487 ha Gariep Dam on the Orange River and an 11 237 ha game sanctuary on its n...
Akkerendam Nature Reserve
Akkerdam Nature Reserve lies just outside the little town of Calvinia, which is found at the foot of the Hantam Mountain (mountain of the red bul...
Rolfontein Nature Reserve
Situated in the upper Karoo where an infinite sky and horizon seem to go on without end, the Rolfontein Nature Reserve is found roughly 16 kilome...
Doornkloof Nature Reserve
Lying peacefully in the mountainous upper Karoo of the Northern Cape, just outside the little town of Colesberg, Doornkloof Nature Reserve is pos...
Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve
Just 10 kilometres outside of the little town of Nieuwoudtville, between the towns of Van Rhynsdorp and Calvinia, lies the Oorlogskloof (war gorg...
Hantam National Botanical Garden
Established in 2007, the Hantam National Botanical Garden lies on the Bokkeveld Plateau just outside the town of Nieuwoudtville. It is regarded a...
Molteno Pass
Said to be South Africa's first mountain pass, Molteno Pass links Beaufort West to Loxton, in effect joining the oldest town in the area to the N...
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