Wupperthal

Wupperthal was founded in 1830 by German Rhenish missionaries in a narrow Cederberg valley, and the village that grew is a line of thatched, whitewashed cottages along a stream with a church at the centre - the mission later passed to the Moravians. Its long-standing trade is shoemaking: veldskoene, simple leather shoes, have been made here by hand for generations and sold under the village name, alongside rooibos tea grown on the surrounding slopes. In December 2018 a fire swept through and destroyed a large part of the historic village, including many of the thatched houses; rebuilding has been under way since with heritage authorities involved, and the village people are still working through it. Visiting now means seeing both the surviving fabric and the reconstruction. The road in over the Pakhuis Pass is gravel and the final descent is steep.

What you actually see

• The 1830 mission - thatched cottages along a stream with the church at the centre.
• The veldskoen workshop - hand shoemaking that has run here for generations.
• The 2018 fire - destruction of much of the historic village, and the rebuilding since.
• The rooibos slopes - tea grown on the surrounding Cederberg hillsides.

When to go

March to May and September to November. Half a day. Summer heat in the valley is severe.

Honest expectations

Much of the historic village burned in 2018 and reconstruction is ongoing - it does not look as older photographs show. The road in is gravel with a steep descent. Services are minimal. It is a living village recovering from disaster; visit with that in mind.

Nearby

The Cederberg wilderness is around it; Clanwilliam is over the Pakhuis Pass.