21 things to do in Prince Albert, Karoo

By Roxanne Reid
If wide open spaces and a deafening stillness appeal to you, if small Karoo towns make you happy, then Prince Albert is your kind of town. But just because it’s peaceful, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing going on. Here are some of the many and varied things to do in Prince Albert, Karoo.

Prince Albert lies at the foot of the Swartberg range about 390km from Cape Town. It was originally founded in 1762 and renamed Prince Albert after Queen Victoria’s consort in 1845. Today there are numerous beautifully preserved examples of Cape Dutch, Karoo and Victorian architecture. Despite increasingly arid conditions in this part of the Karoo, a leiwater system of water furrows continues to deliver water to the town.

1. Visit the museum 

Fransie Pienaar Museum in Prince Albert

The kitchen display at the Fransie Pienaar Museum

Don’t miss a visit to the Fransie Pienaar Museum in the main road for displays of glass and porcelain, musical instruments, weapons, Victorian clothing and of course information about the town’s history, the Swartberg Pass, Gamkaskloof (the Hell) and a short-lived gold rush in the area. There’s also an interesting collection of kitchen equipment, from moulds and peelers to scales and mouse traps. A small section documents the original KhoiSan inhabitants of the area, the forced removals of the apartheid era and various prominent community members such as the late Outa Lappies who made art out of other people’s junk.

2. Visit the Albert Mill

The mill at the southern edge of town still works

Find this historic mill just outside town. Built in 1865 and now restored, it was declared a national monument in 1963. It milled flour for more than a century and now pumps water to the leiwater furrows in Prince Albert.

3. Sample some Prince Albert restaurants

The Lazy Lizard has seating inside, on the stoep and in a courtyard garden

There are more than a dozen restaurants and coffee shops in Prince Albert. For a casual tea break or light lunch, try the Lazy Lizard, which started life as a bus terminal, or La di Dah, which is really a fancy farmstall with a lovely setting at the edge of a dam and old-fashioned décor in the form of old tools, boxes and Pepsi bottles. O for Olive on Swartrivier Farm about 5km out of town also does light lunches like fish and chips, burgers and salads, and the garden venue with its separate shade areas and water features makes it a pleasant interlude even on a scorching day. For dinner, try the Karoo Kombuis (traditional Karoo food like yummy Karoo lamb) or African Relish, where you can book a sit-down dinner on Friday or Saturday or get takeaways from Tuesday to Saturday. Or perhaps you’d like to get hands-on and sign up for one of their cooking courses.

4. Walk or cycle around with your camera 

Flat-roofed Karoo houses with corrugated iron porches

A Cape Dutch gabled house with Victorian broekie lace detail

Walking or cycling around the village is one of the best ways to appreciate some of the many well-preserved buildings in the town, with their Victorian stoeps and Cape Dutch gables, a unique type known as the Prince Albert gable. If you’re a keen photographer, you’ll be busy for a long while.

5. Learn about Karoo plants on a guided walk
If Karoo plants are your thing, contact Renu Karoo to book a fascinating two-hour guided walk with Dr Sue Milton-Dean at Wolwekraal Nature Reserve. She’ll tell you about her and Dr Richard Dean’s work supplying indigenous plants and seeds to restore the Karoo veld after overgrazing and mining damage. But it’s not all about plants; you’ll learn about the geology, natural and cultural history of the area too.

6. See the dustbin ‘art gallery’ 

Painted bins celebrate Prince Albert's 250th anniversary - note the Prince Albert gables

Don’t miss a look at the dustbins that line the main road. These individual artworks – which double as dustbins to keep the pretty little town free of litter – were installed in 2012 to celebrate 250 years since Prince Albert’s original farm Kweekvallei was established. Local artists, schools and a children’s art group all participated.

7. Meet the Burghers of Prince Albert 

Old blue gum stumps have been turned into street art

In 2007, sculptor Richard Forbes and four local apprentices transformed five 130-year-old blue gum stumps into huge works of art. You can ponder them in front of African Relish on the main street. If you love art in all its forms, there are a few galleries in the town that you’ll want to explore too.

8. Browse the Saturday morning market 

The mood at the Saturday morning market is relaxed, especially if you get there early

If you’re in town over the weekend, visit the farmer’s market next to the museum for garden-fresh veggies, cheeses, olives and home-made yummies. Sit at one of the tables in the centre, get a cup of coffee and something to munch (there was a queue at the pancake stand when we visited) then catch up with the locals and the gossip of the week.

9. Say cheese 

Gay's Guersey Dairy makes a variety of cheeses

Visit Gay’s Guernsey Dairy where you can taste the local cheeses that include gouda, cheddar and parmesan types as well as mozzarella and Karoo feta. Some of them are appropriately named after Prince Albert and Queen Victoria. They’re free of hormones and preservatives. Gay’s fruit yoghurt is also delicious.

10. Meet Prince Albert’s ghosts 

Join a ghost walk at night to hear wonderful stories from Prince Albert in times gone by

Do the Prince Albert Ghost Walk at dusk to hear about some of the many ghosts of the town. You’re in good hands with local story teller Ailsa Tudhope – this has been one of my favourite activities in Prince Albert over the years. For more about our experience of this interesting ghost walk, read Meet the ghosts of Prince Albert in the Karoo.

11. Visit the Swartberg Hotel 

The Swartberg Hotel has been a hotel (under various names) for more than 150 years

Pop in at the historic Mont d’Or Swartberg Hotel to enjoy the elegant surroundings. The hotel dates back to the 1860s and is a national heritage site. Enjoy one of a multitude of local gins in the gin bar, have dinner in the Victorian restaurant, breakfast or lunch in the coffee shop, or treat yourself to a relaxing massage at the hotel’s spa.

12. Visit an olive farm
Visit one of Prince Albert’s olive farms Kredouw, O for Olive or Prince Albert Olives for an olive oil tasting or to buy some of their products. You can also book ahead for a tour where you can learn about how olives are grown and processed. Blends of extra virgin olive oil – the one to look for – include varieties like Frantoio, Leccino, Coratina and Favolosa.

13. Take in a show 

Check to see when there's something on at the Art Deco Showroom Theatre

Pass by The Showroom Theatre during the day and you might not notice its pale grey exterior. Pass by on a night when it’s lit up with colourful lights and you might think you’re in Las Vegas. Once a car dealership and showroom, this theatre hosts local singers and comedians as well as film festivals; even Pieter Dirk Uys and his alter-ego Evita Bezuidenhout have trod the boards here. The last time we were in Prince Albert, it was showing David Attenborough’s highly relevant Life on our Planet.

14. Look at the stars
Stargazing in the Karoo is always a treat because of the dry, clear air and lack of light pollution. Don’t forget to look up to admire the planets and constellations like the Milky Way. Try to walk into the open somewhere away from lights, trees and buildings to get the best view of the panoramic night sky.

15. Go shopping 

There's a fascinating collection of antiques and old objects at The Olde Shoppe

There are plenty of shops in Prince Albert where you’ll want to browse or buy. Two of my favourites are The Country Store on the main road (Kerk Street) and The Olde Shoppe in Mark Street, behind the Dutch Reformed Church. Both have a range of antiques, collectibles and bric-a-brac that appeal to my love of heritage and history.

16. Visit a fig farm
You’ll find Weltevrede Fig Farm 25km outside Prince Albert. It’s a huge operation with around 2000 fig trees. Fig season (January to May) is the best time to visit but you need to book ahead. They grow mainly the big purple Adam figs, but also Cape Brown figs. There’s a small shop on the farm that sells them fresh, dry and bottled.

17. Stay over for a night or three

Karoo Khaya's open-plan living room/kitchen

Our romantic bedroom

Karoo Khaya stoep and garden

With a wealth of things to do in Prince Albert, it makes sense to stay over for a few nights so you can relax and enjoy them. We’ve stayed at a number of different places over the years, including the old Swartberg Hotel (long before it was as swanky as it is now).

On our most recent stay, we settled in at the lovely Karoo Khaya on a smallholding on the edge of town – perfect for its beautiful surroundings, warm hospitality and peace. Inside are stone floors, warm wood finishes, enamel pots, mugs and tins as decor. Outside, there’s a stoep for cooling off with sundowners and a patch of garden with green grass and trees, cacti and succulents. It was an oasis in the scorching heat where birds like Cape robin and sunbirds came to visit. You’re welcome to pick veggies from the veggie plot; despite the heavy drought we found frilly lettuce, beetroot and mulberries.
To find out more about this charming stop, read point 7 in my compilation of budget-friendly accommodation in the Western Cape.

Further afield

18. Drive the Swartberg Pass 

Steep switchbacks on the Swartberg Pass

The Swartberg Pass was built by Thomas Bain in the 1880s and is still a marvel of engineering. The gravel road climbs in a series of steep zigzags and sudden sharp bends to 1585m, giving sweeping views out over the Karoo. Stop at some of the viewing spots to really appreciate the journey.
Read more about the Swartberg Pass

19. Get active in the Swartberg Nature Reserve
The entrance to Swartberg Nature Reserve is at the top of the Swartberg Pass. There are a number of hiking trails, from one day to three days, and an overnight 4x4 route. You can also mountain bike in the reserve at certain times of year. Lindsay Steyn of Dennehof Tours knows the area well and can take you hiking or cycling without you having to worry about getting lost.

20. Stay over at Gamkaskloof

Gamkaskloof accommodation: Koot Cordier's house

Also known as The Hell, the Gamkaskloof is part of the Swartberg Nature Reserve. Stay here to get a taste of what the kloof must have been like when the farming community was isolated, before the road was built in 1962. (Read more about the old folk of the Gamkaskloof here.) Book ahead with CapeNature to stay in one of the renovated old cottages, or to camp. Note that you shouldn’t even attempt this route without a 4x4 and a strong head for heights on narrow roads. Allow enough time to get there; the 37km narrow winding road to the valley floor will take you about two hours.

21. Drive through Meiringspoort
55km east of Prince Albert is Meiringspoort and it’s worth a detour on your way to or from Prince Albert. The 25km road winds through the gorge, around 63 bends, and crosses the Groot River more than 20 times. It’s a scenic journey presenting wonderful views of steep cliff walls and red rock formations.

Obviously, this isn’t a complete list of everything there is to do in Prince Albert and the surrounding area, but it should give you some inspiration for your next visit. Other ideas include birding safaris, open art studios and art galleries, and a donkey sanctuary. For more information on Prince Albert’s history, attractions and accommodation, take a ramble through Prince Albert Tourism’s website.

You may also enjoy
Drive the Swartberg Pass in the Karoo
Gamkaskloof: a hidden heaven called The Hell
Stay at the Dorpsplaas Cottage in Prince Albert

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