Prince Albert, Karoo
Prince Albert had its origins in 1762 when a loan farm named Kweeckvalleij "the valley of cultivation and plenty" was established in a green and fertile valley at the foot of the awesome Swartberg Mountains.
Today, the town is one of the prettiest in the country - a place of great serenity and charm, with beautiful architecture, fascinating flora and fauna and great Karoo hospitality. Just 2 kms from the foot of the awesome Swartberg Pass, Prince Albert is the perfect base for exploring the wonders of the Swartberg including Gamkaskloof (The Hell) and Meiringspoort.
Hiking, mountain biking, birding and botanical excursions are major attractions. Aside from a superb climate, with a high sunshine index and spectacular night skies, the village itself is a small gem, with beautifully preserved Cape Dutch, Karoo and Victorian buildings. Of these, 19 are National Monuments. Prince Albert is known for its sun-ripened fresh and dried fruit, especially figs and apricots. Karoo lamb, olives, olive oil and homemade cheeses are local delicacies.
Prince Albert is well situated for overnight stops from Gauteng, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. The Garden Route resorts and beaches are two hours south by road. Oudtshoorn, the Cango Caves and the Karoo National Park are just an hour away.
Additional Reading
For an in depth review of Prince Albert see our article at "Weekending in Prince Albert – a welcome break from wet Cape Town".
Travellers' Reviews
2 Reviews from SA-Venues.com travellers. All reviews are verified.
Verified review
What a delightful place! The staff was very friendly and the food excellent. So much on offer in this shop. My dear daddy, whom I have not seen in years, and I had a lovely lunch there and I hope to visit again in the near future and bring him back with me. Fond memories!
Anna Turton (Dornie, Scotland)
Verified review
Delicious Karoo Seldom do we leave home without padkos and the start of our trip to the Karoo was no exception. However, when a journey begins with scrumptious organic potatoes from Dovehouse, happy boiled eggs from Gill Addison’s girls and cherry tomatoes just picked from our own garden, you can expect that good food will feature highly in the travel diary. We were headed for Prince Albert Valley, which we adore, with visits to Graaf Reinet and Cradock along the way. We were delighted to discover a vine covered courtyard named Toast for our first breakfast after an early morning cup of tea on our street side stoep, watching neat Karoo kids skipping to school and practicing our rusty “goeie more”. We popped into the uninspiring little town of Willowmore and were pleasantly surprised by lunch at Sophie’s Choice. A colourful mixed salad (I forgave carrots, red cabbage and pumpkin seeds all on the same plate, because it was moist and crunchy and after all, we were in the darkest Karoo) and Panini stuffed with mushrooms and mozarella. Our next food experience was a green roadside trailer a little further down the road, where a man was quietly selling watermelon, pumpkins and butternut which must have been grown on a farm close by. We filled the back seat with enough to feed us for the week, just in case... The scenery was gorgeous after Willowmore and winding through the extremely special Meiringpoort, with astonishing rock formations, certainly took our mind off food for a while. Our host at Brakdakkie (very ‘kool karoo’) in Prince Albert village tried hard to convince us of how good the local restaurants were, but we were so looking forward to tackling our pumpkins (there was a hot plate and a blunt knife available – what more could we want?). We wandered across to the OK for a box of couscous (our standard travelling companion) and a bottle of local red wine from Bergwater Estate and popped into Mix It for some olive oil to cook with. After a battle to cut a butternut into manageable chunks we enjoyed a delectable dinner on the back verandah after the sun had slowly set. A classic slow pink and purple and red and blue big sky Karoo sunset. Saturday morning is Market Day in Prince Albert, so we eagerly headed down as soon as it was decent. The stalls looked uninspiring at first, the usual pancakes, some jewellery, second hand books... oh dear, what were we to eat? There was someone braaing “roosterkoek”, but we need veggies! Fortunately, a woman in a big hat had a stall crammed with local delights. We filled our Woollies shopping bags with plump fresh purple figs and dried ones which looked like starfish, almonds grown up the road and naartjies grown just up a road in the other direction! We also got lots of bottles of olives, local tomatoes, sundried apricots and an enormous tin of peppery olive oil. Then, to our delight, a rusty bucket filled with aubergines and beans was unpacked by Brakdakkie’s neighbours (we had been admiring their produce over the fence). We purchased an assortment of interesting aubergines including very long dark ones, pale white ones and bright red round ones too. We also bought their entire stock of beans – not green, but beautiful red and purple speckled pods with fat beans lurking inside – our absolute favourite! How lucky could we get? Whole wheat baguette and bread sticks from the stall next door completed our haul. Then it was off to Gay’s Dairy on the edge of the village for fresh milk, yoghurt, feta, mozzarella and cheddar. Gay supplies all the fresh milk needs of the village and has done so for many years. We walked around the village admiring pretty stoeps, gardens crammed with wind pumps, lemon trees and rusty stuff, fat furry cats and sausage dogs (there were masses!) and enjoying the views across the roof tops to the faded hills. Couldn’t wait to prepare supper of fried aubergine and freshly podded, gently boiled beans – actually, it doesn’t sound as fantastic as it was and on a secluded karoo verandah draped in grape leaves, it was absolutely heavenly. After watching the meteor shower, Paul spotted a sliver of old moon rising bright red. Sunday morning is a sleepy affair in the village and we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at Cafe Albert on the main road while the leiwater (which comes straight out of the Swartberg) gushed by in the channel – keeping everything well watered in this dry place. The lush gardens are astonishing although most are actually planted with water-wise plants now, succulents, aloes and other local treasures. There was plenty of plumbago, senecio and tecoma around too. Wrapped in blankets, thoughtfully provided to ward of the autumn chill, we enjoyed fresh baked muffins: corn and cheese with tangy chutney and apple and pecan, scones with heavenly thick cream from Gay’s and a toasted cheese sandwich. The Cappucinos everywhere were great. We are getting a bit cheesed out and any illusions of being vegan are fading fast in Carnivore Central. At least we haven’t succumbed to a springbok pie yet – which the farm stall is famous for. Supper is more aubergine, with beans and tomatoes and spinach. By now I was in need of greens so found tall bunches of spinach at the OK (this is such fun!) which was all wrapped up tightly, rather than in the loose bunches we find at home. It may have come all the way from Oudtshoorn – not strictly local. Breakfasts are now sumptuous feasts of fresh and dried figs, yoghurt and almonds. Until the figs ran out and are replaced by naartjies with dried apricots. Lunches are baguette or olive rolls with feta, tomatoes, olives (lots) and herbs which we discover growing outside our cottage. These we enjoy in Bushman’s Valley – a Nature Reserve just outside of town – while watching all sorts of little rodents (bush karoo rats and striped mice) and interesting birds (karoo robins and cape buntings) in the bossies around us. At night the baboons squabble loudly over the best spot to sleep. On a cold and blustery day, Mix It Cafe provides a delicious and warming cabbage, potato and spinach soup with fabulous fresh baked olive bread and sublime apple pie for afters. Our dinners are variations on the pumpkin, aubergine and bean theme but utterly yummy every time. We visit the museum, which is really interesting, particularly the display about the Bo Dorp communities forcibly removed in the 1970’s, and discover that they too stock local goodies, so we buy more olives, olive paste and chutney made at SwartRivier – these are our all time favourite sundried olives – really strong and tangy. We pinch a sprig of rosemary from the enormous bush in the Museum garden. Everyone in town sells the local produce – the Tourism office has honey, fig preserve and fat pink sun dried figs. Our car is starting to groan – we can’t eat fast enough. We visit the Kredouw Olive farm on the very last day of the harvest and admire the crates of green and purple fruit before it goes into the smart stainless steel processing machines to become oil. They grow walnuts on the farm too, so we can’t resist a few bags. We have just missed the apple harvest. “Life is beautiful” declares the sign behind the Village Trading Post and Cafe in De Rust, overflowing with metal sculptures, mirrors and toy goldfish in plastic bags filled with water, where we stop for brunch. After chatting to the donkeys pulling karretjies along the main road, we find prickly pear syrup, ginger biscuits and quince jellies to add to our tasty treasure trove - in a shop which encourages customers to taste all the preserves, jams, olives and chutneys they sell – I simply couldn’t. We enjoy fresh scones with fig jam in another courtyard in Graaf Reinet – this time surrounded by Karoo bric-a-brac, rusty signs and faded chairs. By the time we are at Mountain Zebra National Park, with kudu, springbok, ground squirrels, mountain zebra and white-browed sparrow weavers for company, we were roasting whole crescents of the blue pumpkin, and turning the leftovers into soup. While exploring Craddock, we come across Mila’s in a side street and lunch on margarita pizza with a twist - topped with sundried tomatoes and pesto. We meant to buy some springbok biltong to bring home for the dogs, but the butcheries – though quaint with striped roofs and sash windows - simply look too meaty for our taste. We hope they won’t notice if we stop for some Woollies tripe treats instead... Homeward bound we stopped beside the Orange River in Aliwal North for a very processed cheese and bland tomato sandwich which took over half an hour to prepare, firmly declaring our trip to foodie heaven was over. And, astonishingly, they only had rooibos tea, no wicked caffeine-filled Ceylon which was desperately needed! Back at home we are still savouring the cheeses and olives (with our own cherry tomatoes again) for lunch, while the little wire wind pompie we brought home attempts to whirr in the balmy midlands autumn air. Can’t wait to cook the big white pumpkin with bright green pumpkin leaves from the garden and we haven’t tackled the watermelon yet...
Nikki Brighton (Dargle)
In the vicinity
Hotels & other accommodation options
Olive Grove Pip
Olive Grove Pip is a self-catering studio set in the grounds of Olive Grove House in Prince Albert. The accommodation is centrally located and wi...
59 Mark Street
This pretty Victorian two-bedroom (accommodates 4) holiday cottage with its central but private location and picturesque views over the village i...
Honey Cottage
Honey Cottage is located at Yellow House in the town of Prince Albert. This is a working almond and citrus farm, this gem is one of the rare "dor...
Rooster Cottage
Rooster Cottage offers luxurious accommodation in Prince Albert with breathtaking sunsets, beautiful sun-rises and clear starry nights. The bedro...
Travellers Rest
Travellers Rest offers accommodation in Prince Albert. We offer one twin room and three double rooms. All four of our en-suite garden rooms have ...
Brakdakkie Guest Cottages
Brakdakkie Guest Cottages offers four private cottages for accommodation in Prince Albert. Brakdakkie pioneered the unique decor style of old wor...
Lavender Cottage
Lavender Cottage is located on a working almond and citrus farm in Prince Albert. This gem is one of the rare "dorpsplase" – a farm with a street...
57 Mark Street
57 Mark Street offers accommodation in a semi detached home in Prince Albert, for six people in three bedrooms. Two of the bedrooms have double b...
Bid Huisie Cottage
Bid Huisie's modified cottage interior offers homely accommodation for people seeking quiet, yet still wanting to be within walking distance to e...
Mustard Cottage
Mustard Cottage offers Karoo self catering at Yellow House on a working almond and citrus farm in Prince Albert. This gem is one of the rare "dor...
Koppie Cottage
Koppie Cottage is a tastefully furnished cottage offering self catering in Prince Albert. The accommodation is set in a private garden and is per...
Striata Cottage
Striata Cottage offers accommodation in Prince Albert that overlooks a natural indigenous garden. If you are dreaming of wide open vistas, specta...
Mont d'Or Swartberg Hotel
Mont d'Or Swartberg Hotel offers stunning accommodation in the heart of this tranquil Karoo village. This is a great place for a relaxing getaway...
Akkedis Cottage
Akkedis Cottage is a self-catering cottage located in the Karoo town of Prince Albert. Guests enjoy luxury accommodation and discover the culinar...
Wolvekraal Guest House
Wolvekraal Guest House and farm invites you to experience the calmness, and silence of the wonderful Great Karoo, where time seems to stand still...
Bushman Valley
Offering accommodation in cottages nestled just south of Prince Albert and stretching all the way up to Eerstewater in the Swartberg Mountains, i...
81 on Church Guest House
81 on Church Guest House is a comfortable 19th century home offers accommodation in the tranquil village of Prince Albert, an ideal place to sit ...
Karoo View Cottages
Experience magnificent 360º views of the majestic Swartberg to the south and the Karoo plains to the north. Wake up to the sun rising through the...
Nieuwerust
Nieuwerust is a fully contained self-catering Karoo-style holiday home with three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. The enclosed courtyard outsid...
Lemon Tree Guesthouse
Situated in the beautiful town of Prince Albert in the Karoo, Lemon Tree Guesthouse is situated within a few metres from a variety of shops and r...
Kanon Cottage
Kanon Cottage offers accommodation in Prince Albert in a Karoo Styled cottage overlooking our natural indigenous gardens. If you are dreaming of ...
Nieuweschuur
Nieuweschuur is a fully contained self-catering Karoo-style barn with a luxury loft, holiday apartment. It is furnished with a King-size bed and ...
Mirtehof Guest Farm Estate
Situated in Prince Albert, Mirtehof Guest Farm Estate provides luxury accommodation and is perfect for a Karoo honeymoon, a rejuvenating break fr...
Nieuwehuyz
Nieuwehuyz is a fully contained self-catering Karoo-style holiday house in Prince Albert, a town nestled at the foot of the Swartberg Mountain ri...
At 85 on Church
Central to restaurants, shops, art galleries and other attractions, At 85 on Church is a spacious, charming house set in a large garden with a sw...
The Olive House
The Olive House offers self catering accommodation in Prince Albert. Here time is not historical. The sky is a song of stars. The wind is solitar...
Saxe-Coburg Lodge
True Karoo hospitality and personal service awaits guests at Saxe-Coburg Lodge. A spacious Karoo Victorian home offering a self-catering cottage ...
Elfen House
Elfen House offers accommodation in Prince Albert that is within walking distance of shops restaurants and the nearby Koppie Trail with wonderful...
Karoo Rust
Situated in Prince Albert, Karoo Rust has four units that accommodate a total of 10 guests. Here you are able to visit many attractions such as f...
Stoep Suite
Stoep Suite at Karoo View Cottages offers Prince Albert Accommodation in a Karoo Styled cottage which is beautifully furnished with your home fro...
Karoo Masterclass House
Karoo Masterclass House offers accommodation in Prince Albert for eight guests, in a spacious home on the southern end of town. The house is with...
Doringbos Cottage
Doringbos Cottage is a just a 5-minute drive away from the centre of town. Guests can choose to eat at the African Relish Chef's Café or buy prov...
Ferox Cottage
Ferox Cottage in Prince Albert is a Karoo-styled cottage which is beautifully furnished with home from home comforts. The cottage has large windo...
Elfen Cottage
Elfen Cottage offers accommodation in Prince Albert. The cottage are within walking distance to shops, restaurants and the nearby Koppie Trail wi...
Market Street
Situated in the beautiful town of Prince Albert in the Karoo, Market Street is situated within a few metres from a variety of shops and restauran...
Meerkat Cottage
Meerkat Cottage is almost 200 years old. This little jewel is a traditional Karoo-style "Brakdak" which means it still has it's original bamboo c...
Olive Thrush Cottage
Olive Thrush Cottage has one bedroom furnished with an extra-length King-size bed and two extra length single beds. The bathroom has a large show...
Olive Grove Cottage
Olive Grove Cottage is a self-catering cottage set in the grounds of Olive Grove House in Prince Albert. The cottage is centrally located and wit...
Casa Milorca
Casa Milorca is a 19th-century, owner-run guest house offering accommodation in the historic heart of Prince Albert. The guest house features thr...
Karoo Khaya
Set on a small holding within town of Prince Albert, Karoo Khaya is a relaxing home away from home offering accommodation on either a self cateri...
Borrie Cottage
Borrie Cottage offers Karoo self catering at Yellow House in Prince Albert. A working almond and citrus farm, this gem is one of the rare "dorpsp...
Appel-Liefie
This quintessential Karoo brakdakkie is conveniently located within walking distance of all Prince Albert amenities. With breathtaking mountain ...
Krans Cottage
Krans Cottage offers accommodation in Prince Albert with all your "home from home" comforts overlooking the village of Prince Albert 350m away. I...
Swartberg Cottages
Swartberg Cottages offers affordable overnight accommodation in the quaint town of Prince Albert. We invite you to visit and experience the peace...
Olive Cottage
Olive Cottage is spacious (sleeps two adults and one child). The antique bedroom is furnished with a double bed. There is an open plan living are...
Prince Albert Cottage
Prince Albert Cottage has two en-suite bedrooms. There is an open plan kitchen, lounge and dining area with a wood burning fire for Winter evenin...
Windpomp Cottage
Windpomp Holiday Cottage in Prince Albert is decorated in cool shades with the original Glenwood delux woodburning stove to ensure warm cosy nigh...
Noem-Noem & Granaat Cottage
Noem-Noem & Granaat Cottage is a Karoo self catering cottage situated in the heart of Prince Albert where guests can experience the vast open exp...
Onse Rus Guest House
Nestled at the foot of the majestic Swartberg Mountains is the quiet and serene village of Prince Albert, here, time is suspended in the dry cris...
Dream On Cottage
Dream On Cottage is a spacious and elegantly decorated retreat offering breathtaking views of the majestic mountains and farmlands of Prince Albe...
Karoo Masterclass Cottage
Karoo Masterclass Cottage offers accommodation in Prince Albert in the quiet southern end of town. The cottage is within easy reach of shops, res...
Karoo Lodge
Karoo Lodge offers accommodation in beautifully furnished suites each with a private entrance - 3 double en-suite rooms and 1 family unit - in th...
Elfen House and Cottage
Elfen House and Cottage is a luxury restored Karoo-style house and separate cottage situated in the town of Prince Albert. The House and Cottage ...
Die Letterhuis
Die Letterhuis is located on a farm 36km from Prince Albert and offers comfortable accommodation In two holiday homes. On the koppie next to the ...
Lemon Tree Cottage
Situated in the beautiful town of Prince Albert in the Karoo, Lemon Tree Cottage is situated within a few metres from a variety of shops and rest...
Karoo Feels
Karoo Feels has two en-suite bedrooms. One bedroom is furnished with a Queen-size bed and the other with a double bed. There is a lovely sun deck...
Ta Mala's Cottage
Ta Mala's Cottage provides luxurious accommodation in Prince Albert. Ta Mala's Cottage offers superb self catering accommodation in three separat...
Aloe Cottage
Aloe Cottage offers accommodation in Prince Albert in a peaceful environment with wide open landscapes and spectacular views. Prince Albert is th...
Things to do in the area
Self Drive Oudtshoorn to Meiringspoort
Route: Oudtshoorn, Swartberg Pass, Prince Albert, Meiringspoort, De RustDescription: Follow the road that winds along the banks of the Groot Rive...
Cheese Tour at Gay's Dairy
Visit Gay's Guernsey Dairy in the little town of Prince Albert in the Karoo for an interesting look at dairy farming. Gay's Guernsey Dairy team ...
Astro Tour in Prince Albert
If you are spending time in Prince Albert, why not try something different and book a star gazing tour with Astro Tours. Hans and Tilanie Daehne ...
Breakfast at Café Albert
Come and sit on our verandah, listen to the water gurgling past in the water furrow, watch the passers-by and tune into Prince Albert 's friendly...
Prince Albert Farmers Market
The Prince Albert Market was resurrected in 1998 and has been a Saturday morning favourite since then. The market takes place on the square next ...
Prince Albert Ghost Walk
If you are visiting Prince Albert and want to do something a bit different, why not join Ailsa Tudhope for a 60 minute pre-dinner walk around the...
Fransie Pienaar Museum
Fransie Pienaar was born in 1897 in Prince Albert and left after school to study music at Sullivan College in Cape Town. After marrying and retu...
Prince Albert Art Gallery
The Art Gallery is located in Seven Arches, the gracious Victorian building opposite the Fransie Pienaar Museum in Prince Albert. This unique Art...
Prince Albert Country Store
The Prince Albert Country Store at 46 Church Street stocks wonderful vintage and antique items and owners William and Colleen invite you to spend...
Noteworthy attractions
Anysberg Nature Reserve
In the heart of the Cape Fold Mountains, the natural abundance of the Anysberg Nature Reserve is situated in the Little Karoo of the Western Cape...
Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden
In Roux Road on the outskirts of Worcester, some 120 kilometres from Cape Town, lies a unique gem of a garden - the only truly succulent garden i...
Cango Caves
Almost 30 kilometres outside of Outshoorn in the Klein Karoo, and certainly one of the main reasons for placing this little town on your itinerar...
Karoo National Park
The Karoo National Park is situated close to the N1 highway between Cape Town and the hinterland, approximately 1000 km south of Johannesburg and...
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
Lying in the Little Karoo is the remote Gamka mountain range, isolated because of the conduit of the Gouritz River that slices between the Gamkab...
Kammanassie Nature Reserve
Lying in the Little Karoo between the Swartberg and Outeniqua Mountains, lies an inselberg or monadnock - an isolated hill or small mountain that...
Sanbona Wildlife Reserve
At the foot of the Warmwaterberg, in the heart of the Little Karoo, between Montagu and Barrydale on the famous Route 62, the vision of the San i...
Swartberg Nature Reserve
The Swartberg Nature Reserve lies in the Oudtshoorn district between the Great Karoo and Little Karoo, bordered by the Gamka River in the west an...
Meiringspoort
The towering sandstone cliff walls and breathtaking rock formations of Meiringspoort lie on the N12 between Beaufort West and Oudtshoorn. The poo...
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