I’ve seen many small town museums in South Africa but the one in Genadendal in the Western Cape is one of the better ones, if not; The Best!

Genadendal is neglected by the tourism industry and maybe that’s good; I don’t like ‘tourism traps’ and this oldest mission station (founded in 1738) of the African Continent still breaths as life stood still for a few centuries. Once taken the turn into Genadendal (between Caledon and Greyton in the Western Cape, South Africa) follow the signs to the old village and disappear from the contemporary world in this open air museum. In this living history museum you will find amongst others a working water mill, a blacksmith, woodworker, potter and paper making. In the ‘print museum’ one can discover that printing in the old days was more complicated than a click on the mouse. And there is more like a visit to the Moravian Church, the museum (with 25 exhibition rooms), the herb garden, the honey maker, etc. etc. Oh … and whatt about the oldest fire-engine and oldest pipe-organ of South Africa?

Take a day or so… Genadendal (meaning: ‘Mercy Valley’) is a 90 minutes drive (rural pace) from central Cape Town. Tourists, once escaped the Mother City to the other side of the mountain, tend not to return to Cape Town except to the airport… 😉

An impression in 25 pictures: