12 Church Street - Prince Albert - Great Karoo - Western Cape - South Africa
Africa - Southern Hemisphere - Planet Earth - Milky Way - The Universe

/

gently sleeping Under African Skies

Karoo Appreciation Society

/

say hello

+27 87 094 5855

De Kleine Prince

Karoo Appreciation Society

The Great Karoo

The Great Karoo is a vast and timeless landscape of stillness, wide open spaces and stark beauty. Spanning almost 400 000 square km over four provinces, this semi-desert with its majestic mountains, rich diversity and pure night skies is known as the heart and soul of South Africa.

Prince Albert sits in the Cape Karoo region on the southern edge of this dramatic yet peaceful and magical landscape. Because of the barren and harsh topography, the name 'Karoo' aptly means dry, hard and thirsty land in ancient Khoisan.

Despite being a semi-desert, the Karoo is considered a wonder of the scientific world and is extraordinarily diverse. It boasts the richest diversity of succulents (over 9 000 species) and the most sizable variety of land tortoises on the planet. It is also home to the Western Cape's most extensive archaeological rock art collection created by the San people.

The sky seems bigger in the Karoo, and space feels infinite. It’s easy to lose yourself in the vast expansiveness of the night sky, the never-ending views and changing scenery of this ancient land. It is here where you can ground yourself in nature and let the power of the earth recharge your body, mind and soul.

Prince Albert

Prince Albert is about wide open spaces, tranquil silence and spending the night under a blanket of stars surrounded by the alluring Swartberg Mountain range. This working agritourism village is affectionately called the little oasis.

Prince Albert, situated in the arid region of the Great Karoo, is blessed with water from the Swartberg Mountains rippling down the leiwater system of furrows (declared a Provincial Heritage Site) through the town. The leiwater system and water channels, perfectly aligned with the town’s street grid, is a testament to Prince Albert’s agricultural origins. It’s a continuous water source for every homeowner, small-scale grower, and fruit and sheep farm.

The town, founded in 1762, is filled with inspiring examples of Cape Dutch, Victorian and Karoo architecture. It is also an artist paradise where visitors can enjoy numerous art galleries, museums and arts and crafts as they meander through town. For those happy to venture to the outskirts of town, visit the beautiful olive, fruit, wine and dairy farms scattered around the area. The more adventurous activities include hiking, mountain climbing and cycling down the gradient of the Swartberg Pass – and of course, the guided historical ghost walk.

Nightlife in Prince Albert is not only about dining. First on your agenda would have to be stargazing and it is said that Prince Albert is the choicest place to view the night sky, look up at the stars, the moon and the milky way.

The Architecture & Town Planning

Founded in 1762, the town is filled with inspiring examples of Cape Dutch, Victorian and Karoo architecture. The Town planning for Prince Albert was done in the typical Dutch style of the era where houses were built close to the road to promote communal living. Every afternoon you can still see people having chats with their neighbours as they go for their afternoon strolls. This is in stark contrast to most large cities in South Africa, where the town planning is of English origin, and homes are built to the back of the yard with large front lawns and high fences to promote privacy.

The gables of Prince Albert were primarily designed and built by Carel Lotz, who moved here in 1840 after being commissioned by the Dutch Reformed Church to begin construction of the prominent church seen today on the main road of town. These gables have their own distinctly unique Karoo style, with a concave-convex shape described locally as ‘holbol’. Two pillars frame each side of the gable's window and connect to an arch above. Upon completion each gable was dated and often included the initials of the original owner.

Prince Albert’s leiwater is water channelled from a mountain stream originating in the Swartberg Mountains, through canals and pipes to supply irrigation water to properties in our community. The water is directed by a system of valves, taps and sluice gates, which are manually operated. Most leiwater systems in South Africa, including Prince Albert’s, are gravity fed. Leiwater is an Afrikaans (Dutch) word - lei means to lead, guide or direct. Leiwater is guided through canals.

The Passes

One does not just arrive at Prince Albert. Visitors are spoilt for choice between three spectacular mountain passes: Swartberg Pass, Meiringspoort Pass and Seweweekspoort which links the Cape Karoo with the Klein Karoo and the coast. Both Meiringspoort and the Swartberg Pass form part of the Swartberg Nature Reserve and are direct gateways to Prince Albert. Whichever way you choose to travel, be prepared for numerous stops and photoshoots as you take in the majestic scenery, first-class engineering, incredible geological formations, rich plant diversity and never-ending changing views.

The Swartberg Pass is considered one of the most remarkable mountain passes in the world and was declared a national monument and Provincial Heritage Site in 1988. It follows a steep, zigzagged 27km gravel road featuring dry-stone retaining walls, relics of an old prison, a toll hut and many other fascinating historical sites. Visitors should allow an hour to drive the entire pass.

The 20km tarred Meiringspoort Pass, dating back to 3 March 1858, winds its way through a scenic gorge past soaring rock faces scattered with beautifully maintained rest stops. Don’t miss the easy climb from the main rest stop to enjoy a swim in the rock pool overlooked by a lovely waterfall. Legend has it that this was once the home of an Eporia, a mermaid who was washed downriver from the pool to the coast in the 1998 floods.

The Swartberg Mountains tower over the Seweweeks Poort, an 18km stretch of gravel road on the R323 route between Zoar and Laingsburg. This spectacular route boasts easy riding or driving gradients, many river crossings, and otherworldly scenery. Construction of this road began in the 1850s and was completed in November 1862. Seweweeks Poort falls in the Swartberg and Towerkop Nature Reserves and is a certified UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Events and Festivals

This forward-thinking destination intends to celebrate and enhance youth engagement, local heritage and culture, using the noble sound of jazz music.

Once again, the art loving public and buyers are invited into the studios of local artists to see their latest artwork, get a glimpse of their workspaces and learn what drives and inspires their creative process.

The “Big Ride” is on! Prince Albert is once again hosting the Swartberg 100 Gran Fondo on Saturday. Join us for a weekend of fun, endurance and stunning scenery!

Prince Albert is also an artist paradise and visitors can enjoy numerous art galleries, museums and arts and crafts as they meander through town.

Sally Arnold
Botanical Artist

Sue Hoppe
Painter & Photographer

Sue Savage
Pottery Artist

Collette Hurt
Found Objects Artist

Diane Johnson-Ackerman
Fine Artist & Printmaker

Joshua Miles
Printmaker

Heleen de Haas
Calligrapher & Conceptual Artist

Di van der Riet-Steyn
Jewellery Artist

The Cuisine

Being devoted foodies and hosts at De Kleine Prince, our team has designed restaurants and presented events all over the world. Our friends and guests have come to know us well for our unforgettable fine dining experiences, and this is reflected throughout our home with an extensive collection of crockery, cutlery, spices and tea blends on display.

Prince Albert offers a culinary haven to delight any palette. It’s a small village with a surprisingly sizable selection of appetising adventures to be discovered. We love the nostalgia, friendly banter and mouth-watering meals on offer while exploring the curious country roads and side alleys.

A fine selection of farms and food gardens lie nestled on the outskirts of the town, supplying local shops and restaurants with an assortment of dairy and meat products, figs, olives, citrus, nuts and other seasonal organic produce.

Come and taste ‘Prince Albert on a plate’ with our local bistros, cafés, coffee shops, diners, cooking schools and fine dining culinary spaces.

To ask us about some of our favourites places and recommendations, click below to…

"This is a lovingly curated conceptual home, layered with stories and heartfelt joy with a taste for optimism of what is possible on the African continent."

- Adrian

De Kleine Prince^TM

SEE WHAT WE’RE UP TO AT THE
#KAROOAPPRECIATIONSOCIETY

+27 87 094 5855

/

gently sleeping Under African Skies

Karoo Appreciation Society

/

say hello

De Kleine Prince

Karoo Appreciation Society

The Great Karoo

Prince Albert

The Architecture & Town Planning

The Passes

Events and Festivals

Creatives and creators

The Cuisine

"This is a lovingly curated conceptual home, layered with stories and heartfelt joy with a taste for optimism of what is possible on the African continent."

- Adrian

De Kleine Prince^TM

SEE WHAT WE’RE UP TO AT THE
#KAROOAPPRECIATIONSOCIETY

© Copyright 2023 & All Other Rights Reserved by De Kleine Prince [Pty] Ltd

|

Terms & Conditions

|

Privacy Policy

De Kleine Prince

Karoo Appreciation Society

The Great Karoo

Prince Albert

The Architecture & Town Planning

The Passes

Events and Festivals

Creatives and creators

The Cuisine

"This is a lovingly curated conceptual home, layered with stories and heartfelt joy with a taste for optimism of what is possible on the African continent."

- Adrian

De Kleine PrinceTM

SEE WHAT WE’RE UP TO AT THE #KAROOAPPRECIATIONSOCIETY

© Copyright 2023 & All Other Rights Reserved by De Kleine Prince [Pty] Ltd

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

De Kleine Prince^TM

SEE WHAT WE’RE UP TO AT THE
#KAROOAPPRECIATIONSOCIETY