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 sunshine and spectacular night skies. The town 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 to suit all tastes and pockets. We also offer farm accommodation.

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

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

Every April we host our Prince Albert City Festival when the town entertains throngs of visitors with a street market, delicious food, music, an art exhibit, pageants, half marathon and bike race and much more.

Just 2km from the foot of the stunning 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 city walk, Gordon’s koppie walk, ghost walk at night, trips to the Swartberg Pass, a visit to the Prince Albert Gallery where local artists display their historical work , local shops, the tannery and weaver, traditional Karoo foods 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 situated for overnight stops from Gauteng, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. The resorts and beaches of the Garden Route are a two-hour drive south. Oudtshoorn, the Cango Caves and the Karoo National Park are just an hour’s drive away.

The town 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, church services were held in the market square, and by 1844 a an established NG church and a thriving community.

In 1845, some parishioners suggested that the town be named Albertsburg after “Naar zijne Hoogheid”, His Royal Highness Prince Albert, consort to 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).

In 1855 our weekly market was established and Bishop Robert Gray, the first Anglican Bishop of Cape Town, visited the town and found it “very beautifully 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 first in the Cape Colony. Queen Victoria sent a book of Prince Albert’s speeches to the people in 1867, which can now be seen in the Fransie Pienaar Museum.

Unfortunately, the original library burned down in 1949, but ten years later our new library opened. Stop by to see a permanent exhibit about the town compiled by our librarian.

The new NG Kerk in 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 held the position for 58 years.

During the 1850s and 1860s there was much building activity and Carel Lotz created his famous Prince Albert gables. While you’re here, take a guided historic walk through the village to see our gables, well-preserved examples of Karoo cabins, Victorian homes, old movie theaters, and our National Monuments. Contact the Fransie Pienaar Museum 023 5411 172 or the Tourist Association Office 023 5411 366

In 1881 construction began on Swartberg Pass, but it was only in 1883, when Thomas Bain took over the project, that work began in earnest. In 1886, the pass was opened to the public, but at their own risk, as construction was still ongoing.

The mail carriage 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 his carriage gone. gone: the horses had returned to 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 car over the pass.

In 1891, a shepherd found a gold nugget at the Klein Waterval farm and the Prince Albert Gold Rush began. Keen miners predicted another Witwatersrand, but only 504 ounces of gold were mined out of 1,042 registered claims. 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. The Boer commander Gideon Scheepers was taken captive at the Kopjeskraal farm and later executed at Graaff-Reinet. The Boers seized the horses from the mail coach near the 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; tradition continues, buy your copy of our monthly newspaper at the Tourist Association Office.

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

The verdant gardens and orchards bear witness to the springs of the Swartberg Mountains whose protective mass provides a spectacular backdrop to our very special and tranquil setting.