Checking In: Lekkerwijn Historic Country Guest House - Cape Winelands • South Africa (2024)

• November 15, 2019
• Author & Photographer: Teri Didjurgis

Located in the heart of the Cape Winelands, the homestead is within 15 minutes of Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl.

For me this was the perfect location to explore all three of the main town in the Cape Winelands.

This was my first stop in South Africa and I came direct from the Cape Town airport, just 30 minutes away. Post visit, I headed into Cape Town which is 45 minute away.

The property dates back to 1690 when French Huguenot Ari L’Ecrivant was granted land. The French Hugenots were Protestants who came to Cape Town fleeing religious persecution in France. The land and winery passes hands several times in some colorful stories over the next 200 years.

In 1892, Cecil Rhodes buys Lekkerwijn and 29 bankrupt farms in the area and sets up Rhodes Fruit Farm with HEV Pickstone as his General Manager.

HEV Pickstone lives at Lekkerwijn and arranges to buy it from Rhodes in 1901, marries in 1907, and expands his family and the home onwards. Throughout the 20th, and continuing into the 21st Century, Lekkerwijn has been the family home to five generations of Pickstones, one of the Cape’s most prominent families.

The home is unique in having an inner courtyard thanks to several extensions of a growing family. The lore is also that as Dutch farms went bankrupt and/or derelict, Pickstone would save architectural features set to be demolished and work them into his own home. Make sure to check out the huge inset armoire in the dining room.

The historic home showed off its charm from the moment I walked up with Dutch doors. I walked through several sitting areas (one for TV watching, one for dining and one with a grand piano) before going through another Dutch door to the inner courtyard.

There was no shortage of nooks and cozy areas to read a book or enjoy a glass of wine with friends.

The house attracted well-traveled guests and I had lovely conversation on the porch for sun-downers, breakfast and in-between.

• … and Wifi was very good!

Breakfast was served to order every day with a selection of eggs made to order, pancakes, toast and jams. Cooked fresh it was perfect to send you on your way to explore the Cape Winelands.

An honor fridge was setup with beers, water, wines and small snacks for late night raids.

Lekkerwijn also has several self-catering cottages that offer kitchenettes though breakfast can also be added.

• Make sure to try the omelettes!

All the wine is at your fingertips. The house is literally in the center of the Winelands.

You can walk to Allee Bleue Estate as the Lekkerwijn property adjoins it.. The three major towns are all 15 minutes drive away.

Some of my first impressions of Africa were from the movie Out of Africa. Though it was set and filmed in Kenya on a coffee plantation, this Dutch homestead reminded my of Karen Blixen’s Dutch home with nights on the porch listening to music and reading and the green rolling hills and romance of Africa.

Swap the coffee plantation for vines and this is what Lekkerwijn Country Guest House reminded me of. A gorgeous estate ideally located in the Cape Winelands. I had a hard time leaving to explore as the homestead felt like home. Perfect Cape Winelands accomodations.