Swellendam

Swellendam was established in 1745 as the third magistracy of the Cape, after Cape Town and Stellenbosch, and its Drostdy - the magistrate's residence and court, built in 1747 - is now the centre of a museum complex that also takes in the old gaol, a water mill and craft workshops. In 1795 the burghers of the district expelled the Company official and declared a short-lived independent republic that lasted a matter of months before the British arrival ended it. The Dutch Reformed church of 1911 is the town's landmark, a white building combining Gothic, Baroque and Cape Dutch elements in a way that should not work and does. Behind the town the Langeberg rises steeply into Marloth Nature Reserve, and Bontebok National Park is on the other side of the N2, so the town works as a base for both.

What you actually see

• The 1747 Drostdy - the magistrate's residence at the centre of a museum complex.
• The 1795 republic - a few months of declared independence before British rule.
• The 1911 church - a white landmark mixing Gothic, Baroque and Cape Dutch.
• The mountain backdrop - the Langeberg rising directly behind the town.

When to go

September to April. A day, or use it as a base for the reserve and park.

Honest expectations

Museum hours are limited and parts close over lunch. The town is strung along the N2 with through traffic. Summer is hot. Many of the old buildings are private and seen only from outside.

Nearby

Marloth reserve is above the town; Bontebok National Park is south of the N2.