Cape Winelands Heritage Passes — Stellenbosch to FranschhoekLoop.
Distance
140 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
900 m
Cape Winelands Heritage Passes — Stellenbosch to Franschhoek Loop.
A scenic day loop linking three of the most famous historic passes of the Western Cape Winelands: Helshoogte ("Hell's Heights", 1854), Franschhoek Pass (South Africa's first engineered road, 1825), and Sir Lowry's Pass. The route circles through Stellenbosch (the country's oldest wine region), the Huguenot missionary settlement at Pniel, the French-rooted village of Franschhoek, the vast Theewaterskloof Dam, and back over the Hottentots Holland mountains. All paved, all scenic, all heritage.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance140 km
Days1
Total climb900 m
DifficultyEasy
Loading map...
The route.
StellenboschStart · Start in Stellenbosch, founded 1679, the oldest wine region in South Africa and home to Stellenbosch University. Head east on R310 toward Helshoogte. Fuel up.
Helshoogte PassMountain Pass · "Hell's Heights" pass over the Simonsberg, originally built in 1854. The R310 road is now lined with some of the Cape's top wine estates including Tokara, Thelema, and Delaire Graff.
Pniel Missionary SettlementScenic Point · Historic 19th-century missionary settlement founded in 1843 for freed slaves. Tiny mountain village nestled between the Simonsberg and Drakenstein ranges. The original mission church still stands.
FranschhoekRestaurant · "French Corner" — founded by French Huguenot refugees in 1688. The Cape's culinary capital. Lunch on Huguenot Street. The Huguenot Memorial Museum sits at the eastern end of the village.
Franschhoek Pass Summit — 736mMountain Pass · South Africa's first properly engineered road (1825), originally surveyed by Major Holloway. Spectacular 736m summit with views back into the Franschhoek valley and east into Theewaterskloof.
Theewaterskloof DamScenic Point · The largest dam in the Western Cape — supplies most of Cape Town's water. Mountain backdrop. Quiet picnic spots along the R321 shore road. Dramatic when full after winter rains.
Sir Lowry's PassMountain Pass · Climb the Hottentots Holland mountains on the N2 returning west. Views back over False Bay and the entire Cape Peninsula on a clear day. The original ox-wagon pass dates from 1830.
StellenboschEnd · Return to Stellenbosch via Somerset West and the R44 through the wine farms. Three heritage passes in one day — a Cape classic.
More routes in ZA WC
Gamkaskloof "Die Hel" — Swartberg to the Hidden ValleyZA WC · 74 kmOuteniqua & Robinson Passes — Garden Route to Klein Karoo LoopZA WC · 200 kmTankwa Karoo — Ceres to Calvinia via the R355ZA WC · 257 kmTradouw Pass — Swellendam to BarrydaleZA WC · 60 kmSeweweekspoort — Ladismith Karoo Gravel GorgeZA WC · 90 kmPakhuis Pass & Cederberg — Clanwilliam to WupperthalZA WC · 75 km
Save this ride. Open the app.
Clone it to your planner, customize dates and stops, then ride. All free.
Open in MotoVault
Navigate this route with GPS