South African Prince Albert Town Tourist Information

Prince Albert is a charming South African town in the Karoo, which is part of the Western Cape. Although we live in an arid region, we are blessed with water from the Swartberg Mountains and the town is a little oasis.

We enjoy an unbeatable climate, with a high rate of insolation and spectacular night skies. The village is a little gem, with beautifully preserved Cape Dutch, Karoo and Victorian buildings, 13 of which are National Monuments *.

There is ample accommodation in hotels and guest houses for all tastes and pockets. We also offer farm accommodation.

Prince Albert is known for its fresh and dried sun-ripened fruit, especially figs and apricots. In the Prince Albert Valley, south of the village, farmers are restoring vineyards last cultivated in the 19th century. Karoo lamb, olives, olive oil, and cheese are local delicacies. (See what to buy, grow and produce.)

Here you can stroll to the dairy in the evening to buy your milk, cream and yogurt, and visit our Saturday market to buy fruits and vegetables picked that morning, freshly baked bread, homemade jams and pickles.

Every April we celebrate our Prince Albert Town Festival when the town entertains crowds of visitors with a street market, delicious food, music, an art exhibition, contests, a half marathon and bike race and much more.

Just 2 km from the foot of the impressive Swartberg Pass, Prince Albert is the perfect base for exploring all the wonders of Swartberg, including Gamkaskloof, “Hell” and Meiringspoort.

Visitor activities include a guided historical walk through the city, a walk through the “Gordon’s koppie”, a ghost walk at night, trips to the Swartberg Pass, a visit to the Prince Albert Gallery, where local artists show his work, local shops, tannery and weaving, traditional Karoo meals and a visit to the charming Fransie Pienaar Museum, where a local farmer distills “Witblits”.

Hiking, mountain biking, scenic drives, bird watching, and bird watching are the main attractions. (see what to do)

The towns of Klaarstroom and Leeu Gamka are within the municipal district.

Prince Albert is well located for overnight stops from Gauteng, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. The Garden Route resorts and beaches are a two-hour drive south. Oudtshoorn, Cango Caves and Karoo National Park are just an hour’s drive away.

The village of Prince Albert grew out of the Queekvalleij loan farm, established by Zacharias and Dina de Beer in 1762. The fertile valley soon attracted other farmers, religious services were held in the market square and by 1844 it had been built an NG church and a thriving established community.

In 1845, some parishioners suggested that the town be named Albertsburg in honor of “Naar zijne Hoogheid”, His Royal Highness, Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria. The governor’s approval was granted in July and the town became known as Prince Albert.

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha lived between (1819-1861).

By 1855 our weekly market had been established and Bishop Robert Gray, Cape Town’s first Anglican bishop, visited the town and found it “very well situated at the foot of the Zwart-berg Mountains.”

A reading room was established in 1857, leading to the opening of our library in 1862, one of the oldest in Cape Colony. Queen Victoria sent a book of Prince Albert’s speeches to the town in 1867, which can now be seen in the Fransie Pienaar Museum.

Sadly, the original library burned down in 1949, but ten years later our new library was opened; visit to see a permanent exhibition about the village compiled by our librarian.

The new NG Kerk on the Kerkstraat was consecrated in 1865 and the following year Ds Adriaan Hofmeyer replaced the small organ with the splendid instrument currently in use. Annie Luttig was appointed church organist in 1892 and served for 58 years.

During the 1850s and 60s there was a lot of construction activity and Carel Lotz created his famous Prince Albert pediments. While you’re here, take a guided historical walk through the village to see our pediments, well-preserved examples of Karoo huts, Victorian houses, old cinemas, and our national monuments. Contact the Fransie Pienaar Museum 023 5411172 or the Office of the Tourism Association 023 5411366

Construction began on Swartberg Pass in 1881, but it was not until 1883, when Thomas Bain took over the project, that work began in earnest. In 1886, the pass was opened to the public, but at your own risk, as construction was still ongoing.

The coach left the Prince Albert hotel every morning at 6:00 am, on one occasion the driver stopped at the small settlement at the top of the pass for a cup of coffee and returned to find that his carriage was gone ; the horses had returned Prince Albert and the warmth of his stable. The Swartberg Pass was officially opened on January 10, 1888. In 1904, Dr. Russell of Oudtshoorn drove the first automobile through the pass.

In 1891, a shepherd found a gold nugget on the Klein Waterval farm and the Prince Albert Gold Rush started. Enthusiastic miners predicted another Witwatersrand, but only 504 ounces of gold were mined out of 1,042 recorded claims. The relics of the gold rush can be seen in our museum.

The Anglo-Boer War broke out in 1899. A British garrison was established here and there were some skirmishes between commandos and troops in the area. Boer commander Gideon Scheepers was taken captive at the Kopjeskraal farm and later executed at Graaff-Reinet. The Boers seized the mail carriage horses near Botterkraal in 1901.

1912 saw the first issue of a weekly newspaper, The Prince Albert Friend / De Prince Albert Vriend, which was published in Dutch and English; the tradition continues, buy your copy of our monthly newspaper at the Tourism Association Office

After visiting the museum and seeing Robert Gordon’s painting of Kweekvallei in 1778, head up Gordon’s Hill for a panoramic view of the town. The koppies in the distance are just as Gordon drew them, but now there is a thriving town before you, home to more than 6,000 residents.

The green gardens and orchards bear witness to the springs of the Swartberg Mountains, whose protective mass provides a spectacular backdrop to our special and peaceful place.