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Paarl
KNOWLEDGE OF Paarl
Paarl (meaning "Pearl" in Dutch and "Perel" in Afrikaans) is the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa (after Cape Town and Stellenbosch) and forms part of the Western Cape Province. The 2001 census reports Paarl to have a population of approximately 108,000 which makes it the largest town in the Cape Winelands. It is situated about 60 kilometers northeast of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province and is renowned for its illustrious past and unrivalled scenic beauty. The word 'Paarl' is difficult for foreigners to pronounce with authenticity. The closest a native English speaker is likely to achieve is PAIR-UHL, with the emphasis on the first syllable. If one resorts to PARL, rhyming with marl, the locals will forgive you, because they are used to it and polite. An unusual feature of the name of the town is that it is customarily refered to with the definite article attached to it. So, people say (in Afrikaans) "I live in the Pearl" (in die Paarl), rather than "I live in Pearl". (This idiosyncracy has a parallel in Australia: "I live in the Alice", meaning I live in Alice Springs).
The location is particularly well known for its Pearl Mountain or "Paarl Rock". This huge granite rock is formed by three rounded outcrops that make up Paarl Mountain and has been compared in majesty to Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock) in Australia. (However, they are not geologically similar. Paarl Rock consists of intrusive igneous rock, while Uluru is a sedimentary remnant).
In 1657, while Abraham Gabemma was searching for new meat resources for the settlement at the Cape of Good Hope, he saw a giant granite rock glistening in the sun after a rainstorm and named it “Peerlebergh� (Pearl Mountain).
Then, in 1687, just 35 years after the landing of Jan van Riebeeck at the Cape, land for farms was given to some Dutch settlers on the banks of the Berg River nearby. The fertile soil and the Mediterranean-like climate of this region proved to have perfect conditions for farming. These settlers planted orchards, vegetable gardens and above all, vineyards.
Like many towns in the Cape Winelands, Paarl is a prosperous community with many well maintained and attractive Cape Dutch houses, beautiful gardens and streets lined with old oak trees.
Paarl boasts a unique attraction as it was here that the foundations of the Afrikaans language was laid by the Genootskap vir Regte Afrikaners. The "Afrikaanse Taalmonument" (monument to the Afrikaans language) on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, the Language Museum and the Afrikaans Language Route through Dal Josaphat are memorials to this achievement.
The headquarters of the wine industry in South Africa is also situated here - the Co-operative Wine Growers' Association (better known by its Afrikaans initials KWV). The KWV is a South African institution that has acquired an international reputation based on its unique achievements and its imprint of quality on the local wine industry.
At present the town and its surrounding region also attracts visitors with an array of activities such as scenic drives, hiking trails, the Paarl wine route with its many wine tasting opportunities (including the famous Nederburg estate) and excellent restaurants.
The Paarl Rock itself is these days a popular Mecca for rock climbers. However, in the pioneering period of rock climbing in South Africa, the mountain was ignored or shunned because its steep faces were so smooth and unfissured that climbers could find no place to attach "runners" or anchor points for belays. The first serious climbing routes up the rock were pioneered in 1969 by climbers from the University of Cape Town, (notably J.W. Marchant and J. Knight), who established a few routes on which the rope was run out for 100m or more with no protection whatsoever. This was in the days before bolting was possible and these achievements are still held in high regard today. Nowadays, with the insertion of bolts into the rock, there are on Paarl Rock a number of spectacular, beautiful and very hard routes that attract the best climbers of the current generation.
The location is particularly well known for its Pearl Mountain or "Paarl Rock". This huge granite rock is formed by three rounded outcrops that make up Paarl Mountain and has been compared in majesty to Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock) in Australia. (However, they are not geologically similar. Paarl Rock consists of intrusive igneous rock, while Uluru is a sedimentary remnant).
In 1657, while Abraham Gabemma was searching for new meat resources for the settlement at the Cape of Good Hope, he saw a giant granite rock glistening in the sun after a rainstorm and named it “Peerlebergh� (Pearl Mountain).
Then, in 1687, just 35 years after the landing of Jan van Riebeeck at the Cape, land for farms was given to some Dutch settlers on the banks of the Berg River nearby. The fertile soil and the Mediterranean-like climate of this region proved to have perfect conditions for farming. These settlers planted orchards, vegetable gardens and above all, vineyards.
Like many towns in the Cape Winelands, Paarl is a prosperous community with many well maintained and attractive Cape Dutch houses, beautiful gardens and streets lined with old oak trees.
Paarl boasts a unique attraction as it was here that the foundations of the Afrikaans language was laid by the Genootskap vir Regte Afrikaners. The "Afrikaanse Taalmonument" (monument to the Afrikaans language) on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, the Language Museum and the Afrikaans Language Route through Dal Josaphat are memorials to this achievement.
The headquarters of the wine industry in South Africa is also situated here - the Co-operative Wine Growers' Association (better known by its Afrikaans initials KWV). The KWV is a South African institution that has acquired an international reputation based on its unique achievements and its imprint of quality on the local wine industry.
At present the town and its surrounding region also attracts visitors with an array of activities such as scenic drives, hiking trails, the Paarl wine route with its many wine tasting opportunities (including the famous Nederburg estate) and excellent restaurants.
The Paarl Rock itself is these days a popular Mecca for rock climbers. However, in the pioneering period of rock climbing in South Africa, the mountain was ignored or shunned because its steep faces were so smooth and unfissured that climbers could find no place to attach "runners" or anchor points for belays. The first serious climbing routes up the rock were pioneered in 1969 by climbers from the University of Cape Town, (notably J.W. Marchant and J. Knight), who established a few routes on which the rope was run out for 100m or more with no protection whatsoever. This was in the days before bolting was possible and these achievements are still held in high regard today. Nowadays, with the insertion of bolts into the rock, there are on Paarl Rock a number of spectacular, beautiful and very hard routes that attract the best climbers of the current generation.
Chapi