Oak Lane, Stellenbosch, Western Cape province

Stellenbosch became known as the City of Oaks or Eikestad in Afrikaans and Dutch due to the large number of oak trees that were planted by its founder, Simon van der Stel, to grace the streets and homesteads (Stellenbosch means "Stel's forest").

Nestled in the foothills of the Drakensberg, it is close to the Northern Berg and the Amphitheatre and Mont-Aux-Sources are easily accessible from here.

Soon after the first settlers arrived, especially the French Huguenots, grapes were planted in the fertile valleys around Stellenbosch, and soon it became the centre of the South African wine industry.

PHOTO SOURCE: Friedrich von Horsten, courtesy of, and copyright, South Africa Tourism, a department of the government of South Africa, used with permission.

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