Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit Cape Town

Since 1997, Robben Island has been on the World Heritage List. Essential for understanding the still recent history of the country, this visit is a highlight because of the solemnity of this site where hundreds of people died. The rock, located 9 km from the port of Cape Town, housed, between the 17th and 20th centuries, a prison, an asylum, a leprosarium and a military base before becoming, from 1963, a high-security prison. Most of the rebel freedom fighters, Hottentots or slaves, were actually the first political prisoners in the country!

A bus takes you around the island.The island is surrounded by a large maritime zone designed to protect the only colony of 140,000 African penguins and the 60 species of birds. The bus stops at the lime quarry, where Mandela and the other prisoners had worked hard with burnt hands and eyes. The visit continues in the heavy atmosphere of the prison halls and near the football field, the only leisure allowed. The guide, a former political prisoner, recounts the intense experience. You visit Block B, the very high security block for political prisoners, and the tiny cell where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison, escaping by thinking and writing. Illiterate and illiterate people were coming out educated, like the former President of the Republic, Jacob Zuma, who entered in 1963 and left ten years later. It is regrettable that the visit is taking place on the spur of the moment...

The legendary Vin de Constance has been produced again since 1986, thanks to the talent of winemaker Ross Gower and a double miracle of nature: the Muscat de Frontignan vines used are clones of those imported from France in 1656 by Governor Jan van Riebeeck. Every year, before the grape harvest, harriers leave the Siberian plains and come to spend a few months in the Constantia valley, protecting the vines from the looting birds. The resistance of the vines and the threat of birds of prey have made it possible to revive the wine that accompanied Napoleon in his exile from St. Helena. A sumptuous liqueur ordered in the 19th century by all the courts of Europe. Unlike Sauternes, there is no noble rot but the grapes ripen for a very long time on the vine, hence the concentration of sugar and fruity aromas. One month before the harvest, all the leaves are removed to allow the grapes to breathe and be exposed to the sun. In some years, up to half of the grapes are sacrificed in order to give the vines more reserves to draw from the soil. Once harvested, the Muscat de Frontignan, which is extremely ripe, is a delicate grape to press and requires a long fermentation. This is where all the cellar master's know-how comes into play. The wine is then aged for four years in French oak barrels. At the entrance to the estate, the tomb of Sheik Abdurahman Matebe shah, the last sultan of Malacca, he lived in Constantia until his death around 1681.

Behind the story of this vineyard lies that of a remarkable and unusual woman, the German Catharina Ustings Ras, who arrived in Cape Town in 1662 disguised as a man. Already a widow, she had three marriages in South Africa, all of which ended tragically: her first husband, after escaping death by dagger on their wedding day, was killed by a lion some time later. Her second husband is murdered. Her third husband is trampled to death by elephants. She married one last time, but traumatized and a feminist before her time, she decided that the institution of marriage was not the way to secure her situation and that of her children. She therefore worked hard to acquire land in her own name and become a landowner. Her project bore fruit in 1682, when the governor of the Cape offered her the state of Steenberg. This was one of the first property titles issued by the city of Cape Town, and today is one of its oldest vineyards. The "widow Ras" administered this property with autonomy, independence and ferocity, until her death. Her eventful life, in "five chapters", inspired the name of one of the vineyard's greatest vintages, Steenberg Five Lives Red Blend. In addition to this symbolic wine, the Steenberg farm offers other vintages, both great and not-so-great, from sparkling wine to white, rosé and red, for tasting and purchase. The estate is also a 5-star hotel with spa and golf facilities. Luxury and calm characterize this divine place.

Here, grape varieties are cultivated on steep terraces of granite and clay, between 100 and 400 m in altitude. The result in the mouth is surprisingly fruity and fine, to the delight of the taste buds, with a special mention for the red wines. The estate welcomes visitors for refined tastings, whether simple or accompanied by charcuterie and/or cheese. Under the shade of trees, the place is cool, which is very pleasant in summer. Quality service, with an explanation for each wine tasted.