Discover Graaff-Reinet: Architecture, Museums and History

Graaff-Reinet offers travellers different ways to explore culture and history: historic houses, distinctive architecture, and collections and exhibitions. You can focus your interests on architectural history, museum visits or military history.

Historic Houses and Architectural History

The Old Residency is a well-preserved example of a Cape Dutch house with an H-shaped floor plan, dating from the early 19th century. The floor plan gives the building a clearly identifiable architectural feature. The Old Residency also houses the Jan Felix Lategan Collection of Historical Firearms. For travellers interested in architecture and history, it brings together a distinctive house type and a collection of historic firearms.

Reinet House offers a different historical perspective: the building was constructed in 1812, at government expense, as the parsonage of the Dutch Reformed Church during Reverend Kicherer's tenure. This gives you two different historical perspectives to choose from. The Old Residency stands out for its house type and floor plan, while Reinet House's construction date and former religious use shape its history. If you want to compare historic houses, you can consider architectural design and history of use as separate aspects.

Collections and Exhibitions

The Old Library houses the Lex Bremner Fossil Collection and the Townley Johnson Rock Art and Stone Age Collection, as well as the Mangaliso Robert Sobukwe Permanent Exhibition. Other exhibitions include Slavery and the Long Road to Restitution, an exhibition on the history of the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa (FISA), Karoo Transvisions in Energy: From Mythology to Renewables, and the Frederick Emmanuel Hufkie Exhibition. Alongside the collections, these exhibitions each have their own historical and thematic focus. If you are mainly interested in a particular subject, you can get a sense of the Old Library's range from these different titles.

The history of the library itself is also part of the city's cultural history: over the years, it developed into the cultural centre of Graaff-Reinet. In 2005, exhibition spaces were added to the Old Library building to present the history of Graaff-Reinet's previously disadvantaged community. This development adds the library's own history to the individual collection and exhibition topics.

The Military History Museum offers an overview of Graaff-Reinet's military history from the 19th century to 30 June 2007. A separate contribution focuses on the Graaff-Reinet Commando in the First World War. The overview spans a longer period, while the contribution focuses on a particular context and a specific era. These provide two different points of reference if you are interested in Graaff-Reinet's military history.

Getting Around on Foot and Exploring the Surroundings

Most attractions in Graaff-Reinet are within walking distance. Near the destination, the Crag Lizard Trail runs for about 1.5 km past the Valley viewpoints; the walk takes around 45 minutes. These options differ when planning your day: walking is a general guide to reaching most attractions, while the trail offers a specific hiking option with an approximate distance and duration.

Discover more destinations: Grahamstown, Alexandria, Cape Saint Francis, Adendorp, Weston, Addo, Sunland, Quacha

For the broader travel overview: Western District.