Winelands, South Africa
Babylonstoren
Babylonstoren is a property of immense character, shaped over the past four centuries. It’s the perfect retreat after a safari or sightseeing in Cape Town. Babylonstoren is a property of immense character, shaped over the past four centuries. It’s the perfect retreat after a safari or sightseeing in Cape Town.
Babylonstoren is a property of immense character, shaped over the past four centuries. It’s the perfect retreat after a safari or sightseeing in Cape Town. Babylonstoren is a property of immense character, shaped over the past four centuries. It’s the perfect retreat after a safari or sightseeing in Cape Town.
Location
Founded in 1692, Babylonstoren is an historic Cape Dutch farm within one of the best preserved farmyards in South Africa. Set amidst fruit and vegetable gardens covering 3.5 hectares, the character-filled farmhouse still has whitewashed walls, distinctive gables, and impressive fireplaces.
Accommodation
The farm has just 22 stylish cottages and suites scattered throughout the garden and vineyards, each decorated with ornate gables and thatched roofs. All cottages have en-suite bathrooms and underfloor heating, and most have fireplaces too. There are views out over the gardens or vineyards and an outside dining area. Four of the cottages consist of two bedrooms and a shared bathroom so are ideal for families. Also for families or small groups, the five bedroom Manor House is available exclusively.
Guests can enjoy access to the entire farm, plus facilities like a spa, swimming pool and gym. Babel is a Maranda Engelbrecht inspired restaurant, serving exquisite food daily, using many of the fresh produce grown on the farm. The atmosphere at the farm is one of relaxed tranquillity with warm and friendly service and a desire to make every guest feel at home in beautiful surroundings.
Experiences
The Cape Dutch architecture dating from the 17th and 18th centuries gives an authentic feel to the property, and the 200 hectares of land encompassing vineyards, orchards and a fruit and vegetable garden make for a delightful setting in which to relax and appreciate this stunning area.
A wide range of inclusive activities are offered at Babylonstoren: you may like to simply spend a few hours wandering around the property, learning of its interesting history from the gardeners and other staff, or even help out with some pruning, picking and planting! Cycling, hiking, canoeing and swimming can be arranged or of course some wine-tasting in the cellars or at nearby estates.
A wide range of inclusive activities are offered at Babylonstoren: you may like to simply spend a few hours wandering around the property, learning of its interesting history from the gardeners and other staff, or even help out with some pruning, picking and planting! Cycling, hiking, canoeing and swimming can be arranged or of course some wine-tasting in the cellars or at nearby estates.
Positive Impact
We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.
Conservation
Babylonstoren boasts 10 hectares of critically endangered vegetation. This unique area of natural vegetation is a transitional zone between Swartland Alluvium fynbos and Boland Granite Fynbos. Babylonstoren, in collaboration with Cape Nature, has established a stewardship programme on the farm to ensure the future of this last remaining biodiversity jewel will be conserved. Babylonstoren is also a member of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI). As a member, the farm needs to meet several conservation terms and conditions set out by the BWI. This is done to achieve a sustainable future for the farm and surrounding region.
Community
When visitors come to Babylonstoren, whether it’s for lunch or a garden tour, an entrance fee of R10 per person is requested at the gate. On the ticket, it states that the money collected from this entrance fee all goes to the Babylonstoren Trust. The trust raises funds for community projects, like the crèche where all the kids of their farm workers are cared for, while their parents are working. The Trust also helps local school children with soccer and netball kit and transport to sports days.
Environment
Some of Babylonstoren’s earliest structures remain on the farm today, with their Cape Dutch werf (farmyard) typical of the architectural style popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. As such it is considered to be one of the best-preserved farmyards in the Cape today. The original buildings comprise a manor house that dates back to 1777, while the Koornhuis (for storing wheat), the old cellar, ornate fowl house, dovecote, the leaning bell tower and the historic gates, all date back closer to the 1750s. A disused cow shed was transformed into the current-day Babel restaurant. When new accommodation was added to create the Farm Hotel, every care was taken to ensure that the integrity of the original architecture and its sympathetic relationship with the landscape and climate, were reflected.
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