Oranjezicht

Oranjezicht, City Bowl

Oranjezicht is a stylish little village, popular with the arty and trendy set, lying in the foothills of Table Mountain. From afar, homes here appear to lie relatively low on the mountain, but driving through the suburb, one quickly adjusts one's perception - it's quite a climb to reach parts of upmarket Oranjezicht in Cape Town, but well worth it.

Oranjezicht sits perched above Kloof Street, adjacent to Vredehoek with only Buitenkant Street separating the two. Homes here are large and gracious with enviable views of Table Mountain, the foreshore and the distant Hottentots Holland Mountains. Apartments here are popular with students from the Cape Technikon, and close to Gardens Centre, making shopping only a quick walk away and transport negligible.

Kloof Street, and the vibey restaurant and café culture, is within walking distance of Oranjezicht - although be prepared for the climb on the return journey. Getting into the city centre is a mere five minutes and you're in the heart of bohemian Long Street, surrounded by buildings rich in history, restaurants, bistros and cafés, and various museums and galleries that will keep you entertained for the better part of two days.

It's only 10 minutes' drive from Oranjezicht to the Table Mountain cableway, just off Kloof Nek, and over the other side of the mountain are the Cape Town beaches of the Atlantic Ocean - Camps Bay and Clifton - that offer fantastic swimming, people watching and sun bathing opportunities.

Travellers' Reviews

1 Review from SA-Venues.com travellers. All reviews are verified.

Verified reviewexcellent

The land on which we live and provide these days quality accommodation in Oranjezicht was once used to grow vegetables and fruit for the incoming ships on their route to Asia or back to Europe but also for the burghers of Kapstaad. The Oranjezicht Farmstead was acquired by Nicolaus Laubscher, a Swiss immigrant, in the 1670s and named by him so, because of the good view onto the Oranje bastion of the Castle of Good Hope the place where all the produce went to. After his death in 1721 the farm was bought by Pieter van Breda and kept in his family for 7 generations. In 1940s this once biggest farm in the Upper Table Valley was sold to the City of Cape Town and the Homestead of the Oranjezicht Farmstead was demolished by the City of Cape Town in 1957 despite plans to transform it into a museum. It had to make space for a bowling green. The old barn lies directly opposite our entrance. Visible from our garden is the old bell tower and walls. If you wander around a bit on the playground you will actually find a lot of remainders of this once glorious estate. The park and playground were a bit run down by the mid of the last decade but it has now improved significantly under the care of a civil society group, well visited by residents and the old barn is used for neighbourhood meetings and boy scouts activities. Chris Neumann, Lezard Bleu Guest House, Oranjezicht

Chris Neumann (Oranjezicht, Cape Town)