Paarl

#Paarl The Town of Paarl is one of the three main centres in the Cape Winelands, rich in history and culture. The name Paarl means “pearl” and is derived from the granite boulders on top of the Paarl mountain. After rain, they glisten like pearls in the sun.

In 1688 a group of French Huguenots, who fled France after the Edict of Nantes was repealed, settled in the valleys of the Cape Winelands. They brought with them the knowledge and expertise of French viniculture and helped to establish South Africa’s proud tradition of wine production.

The prison from where former president Nelson Mandela walked to freedom in 1990, is just outside the town. Today, a life size monument of Mandela, in the iconic pose that was seen over the world, is at the entrance. It is a popular place for tourists to be photographed.

Another claim to fame in Paarl is the role that its residents played in establishing recognition for the Afrikaans language. A society, called “Die Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners” (Society of True Afrikaners), worked for official recognition of the Afrikaans language. A monument to commemorate their work, is prominently placed at the foothills of the Paarl mountain.