This intriguing valley was once home to 176 French when originally settled, named by the Dutch Olifantshoek (elephants corner) as the Elephants would cross the valley calve. This soon changed to le Coin Français (the French Corner), and eventually became Franschhoek (Dutch for French Corner)!
It became popular for the settlers to name their new farms after the areas in France from which they came. These farms were of course the original first established in the valley and are still found today, with some even retaining their cape Dutch charm with original homes and structures. La Motte, Champagne, La Cotte, Cabrière, La Provence, Bourgogne, La Terra de Luc and La Dauphine are examples of these.
Once a sleepy country village, this little town experienced an incredible boom in the 1990s, with property prices increasing and the various attributes turning this little french corner into a very popular tourist destination! The ideal summer weather, snowy peaks in winter and proximity to the city centre have turned Franschhoek into one of South Africa’s most sought after residential addresses. T
Franschhoek is notable for having some of the top restaurants in the country within its borders. This fact, together with the strong wine culture, and pristine natural and architectural beauty has made Franschhoek into what many describe as the “food and wine capital” of South Africa.