Stadsaal Caves

The Stadsaal - town hall - is a cluster of sandstone formations weathered into chambers, arches and passages you can walk through, orange rock sculpted by wind and water into shapes that read as rooms. It is a short walk from the parking and easy for anyone. The rock art is not in the main chambers but in a separate shelter a few hundred metres away, reached by a short path: a panel of elephants painted in red ochre, simple and confident, from a time when elephants moved through the Cederberg. The main caves carry a different kind of mark - names carved by visitors going back well over a century, including some by figures from South African political history, which the reserve has left as a record rather than removing. Permits are required for the area and are bought at CapeNature offices or nearby farms.

History

The chambers were made by erosion eating away the softer lower layers of the sandstone, leaving overhangs, caves and arches, and people sheltering here long ago left the rock paintings nearby. The land is part of the Matjiesrivier Nature Reserve, which WWF South Africa bought in 1995 and which CapeNature now runs (Wikipedia, Stadsaal Caves).

What to look for

• The weathered chambers - sandstone hollowed into rooms and arches you walk through.
• The elephant panel - red ochre paintings in a separate shelter nearby.
• The old graffiti - carved names going back more than a century in the main cave.
• The Cederberg colour - orange rock strongest at either end of the day.

When to go

March to May and September to November. Two hours. Summer heat here is extreme.

Practical notes

A permit is required and the access roads are gravel. The elephant paintings are in a separate shelter, not the main caves - people miss them. Do not touch or wet the art. There is no water or shade at the site.

Nearby

The Cederberg wilderness surrounds it; Kromrivier and Sanddrif farms are close.

Key facts