Vredenburg at a glance
Surrounded by fynbos, wheat fields and dairy and sheep farms, the town is regarded as a transportation and commercial hub of the West Coast. It is also renowned for its exquisite residential properties that are mushrooming at exponential rates to accommodate it's growing economy.
Vredenburg, nestled in the Western Cape’s West Coast, is located a convenient 12 km’s inland from the coast of Saldanha Bay and just 90 minutes from Cape Town. Other coastal towns in close proximity include Langebaan, Paternoster, St Helena Bay and Velddrif.
History
Established in 1875, Vredenburg’s beginnings are steeped in conflict followed by, consolidation.
The town was originally named “Twisfontein” which translated to “troubled fountain”- the name was derived from it's uneasy past in the 18th century. The conflict resulted over a water feud that took place over a spring serving as a boundary line for the neighbouring farms of Heuningklip and Witterklip.
The dispute ended once the Dutch Reformed Church built the town’s first church near the fountain.
Eventually it adopted the name “Vredenburg” which rather ironically translates to peaceful town.
The area became inhabitable after the discovery of a spring containing fresh drinking water and today is the commercial hub for the surrounding farming community, as well as a residential haven with premium houses.
Attractions
Vredenburg is perfectly situated as a base to embark on adventures around the West Coast.
West Coast Fossil Park
Within 20km of Vredenburg lies the West Coast Fossil Park where visitors can see fossils of bears, short-necked giraffe’s sabre-toothed cats and an array of other exotic animal fossils dating back 5 million years. The park is a haven of activities to entertain visitors intellectually, physically and gastronomically.
On site is the local coffee shop- The Sivatherium Coffee Shop that provides home-baked goods and a gift shop with local crafts and books. The park engulfs visitors inscenic pleasure by offering cycling and walking trails. Cycling takes visitors through a selections of four trails that range in distance from 33.5 km to 10 km. Walking trails meander through old mine roads and a variety of birds can be spotted near water bodies.
White Beaches of Paternoster
Paternoster is a coastal village that lies 15 km from Vredenberg- it is home to one of the oldest fishing villages on the West Coast resulting in an abundance of fresh fish for visitors. Snoek is caught in the winter while crayfish in the summer, and are available fresh off the boats as they come in to the shore. Paternoster beach is renowned for its whale-watching and dolphins which greet the ocean surface on a regular basis.
Activities and attractions at the beach include hiking trails, mountain biking, sea kayaking and beach buggy trips along the coastline.
Other exquisite beaches near Vredenburg include Blue Water Bay (10 km away), Langebaan Beach (20 km away), Tietiesbaai (14.4 km away), Jacobs Bay Beach (14.4 km away), and Calypso Beach (17.4 km away).
Cape Columbine Nature Reserve
Lying near Paternoster, the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve covers an area of 263ha, and contains a manual lighthouse that is the last of its kind in South Africa. Declared a nature reserve in 1973, the reserve stretches along a rocky coastline and is rich in vegetation such as fynbos and during spring it is covered in a bright indigenous wild flowers.
The reserve offers hiking, angling, bird-watching, diving, kayaking and a beach campsite.
Horse Trails
Living in Vredenburg guarantees access to the best horse trails in South Africa. A total of three horse trails are available, including Drikus Horse Trail and Oliphantskop Horse Trails situated on both Langebaan beach and Saldanha Bay.
Amenities
Weskus Mall
The mall is surrounded by views of Saldanha Bay and is furnished with restaurants, coffee shops and retail shops, some of which include: Foschini, Mr Price, Musica and Edgars. Restaurants available are: Spur, Wimpy, Ocean Basket, Beads Café and Panarottis. In total there are over 70 shops to choose from with four anchor tenants including: Game, Woolworths, Edgars and Checkers.
Restaurants
Speciality and chain restaurants are wide spread, catering for a unique tastes around the spectrum and includes: Rooikrans Restaurant, Café Graze, Juffroushoogte Restaurant, Ocean Basket and The Food Lovers Market.
High Quality Schools
For families wishing to relocate the area is saturated with schools for every level of education and these include:
Primary Schools:
• Eden Primary School
• Laerskool Vredenburg
• Panorama Primary School
• Vredenburg Primary School
• Jurie Hayes Primary School
High Schools:
• Vredenburg High School
• Weston Secondary School
• Curro High School
Tertiary Education
• West Lake Technical College
• West Coast College
Hospitals
• Life West Coast Private Hospital
• Vredenburg Provincial Hospital
Health and Fitness
Vredenburg houses well-equipped gyms to cater for all your health needs. These include:
• OxiGym Fitness Club
• Curves
• Medi-Vibe Fitness Studio
OxiGym
This chain of gyms opened its first branch in 2001 in Oudtshoorn, and in 2006 opened an additional gym in the same area. As OxiGym’s reputation spread, it began establishing new gyms in Knysna, Langebaan and Vredenburg. The gym boasts modern, hygienic and fully equipped with the finest cardio and weight training apparatus.
Growth, development and investment opportunities
Today, Vredenburg is an amalgamation of fish factories, local services such as hospitals, banks and shopping malls and local tourist attractions. In the vicinity is one of Acelor- Mittal’s steel mills manufacturing rolled steel for the local and international market. Iron ore is sourced from Sishen in the Northern Cape and transported to the mill by dedicated ore trains. The mill has recently embarked on a project to install its own electrical generation facility based on imported LPG gas. This will render the steel mill independent of Eskom. Being the business hub of the West Coast, its economy is booming with urban populations attracted to the investment opportunities the area brings. As the population size and businesses grow, it is resulting in burgeoning residential and commercial properties that accommodate for the progress. Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty is determined to bring buyers the best houses, apartments and offices on the market to make your new life in Vredenburg luxurious and happy.
Visit our online site to view offer comprehensive Vredenburg listings that accommodate to your residential and commercial needs.
13 Residential Homes For Sale in Vredenburg
FROM R385,000 to R2,050,000
R1,380,000
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1 Residential Home To Let in Vredenburg
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3 Bedroom House To Let in Vredenburg
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