Tourism Features of Heidelberg District

Heidelberg is named after its more famous sister city, Heidelberg, Germany. The Heidelberg of the Whalecoast extends a warm welcome to all visitors to this quiet, rural town with its strong agricultural and tourism backbone. The agricultural backbone is fulfilled by wheat farming, sheep farming, dairies and ostrich farming.

The tourism features of this town is the warm hospitality of its residents. Attractions of this area include whale watching at Witsand, commercial farming, ostriches and the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve. Heidelberg is also closely situated to the Bontebok National Park, De Hoop Nature Reserve and other interesting towns of the Whalecoast area, particularly Stilbaai.

Various accommodations are available in the town, including camping, self-catering, bed & breakfast establichments, guest houses and hotel. Various tourist shops and cullinary delights which serve local delicacies are available. Various tours are available into the surrounding area. The town also boasts an old South African tradition: a mine. Bentonite is mined at Heidelberg.

Old buildings of interest are the Dutch Reformed church, which nowadays is a national monument, the Anglican church and the Congregational church and many old houses in Fourie Street. Other places of interest are the "Boer & Brit" where the southern most battle of the Anglo-Boer war was fought and do not miss the old Post Office which was built in 1936.

Heidelberg can be reached by road from the N2, 270 km from Cape Town and 170 km from George. The coastal town of Witsand is 40 km away and when passing the mountain range Ladysmith in the Karoo is 120 km away. There are no rail links and the nearest airport is George, 170 km away.

The total population of Heidelberg consists of 5320 people, primarily coloured, and stems from the 1991 census. The original community consisted of the Khoi-San people.

The information centre is situated in the centre of the town, opposite the Post Office.

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