Heidelberg

Heidelberg lies in a region originally named Suikerbosrand by the Voortrekker party that explored the area in June 1836. The name, meaning 'sugarbush ridge', refers to the common sugarbush which is abundant on the ridges in the area. When the town was established in 1866, it was named after Heidelberg in Germany. At the outbreak of the War of Independence (1880-81), on 16 December 1880, Heidelberg became the capital of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR). An obelisk featuring busts of Paul Kruger, Piet Joubert and MW Pretorius, the triumvirate who headed the reconstituted republican government, is a reminder of this chapter of the country's history. Heidelberg also has a beautiful sandstone Dutch Reformed Church, built in the Early Norman style and completed in 1891. The town's famous 'bakoond' resembles a large outdoor baking oven, and was built to conceal Heidelberg's water supply during the War of Independence.

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