"My personal favorite town" a Graaff-Reinet Travel Page by prikje

Graaff Reinet is situated in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, inSpandau.jpg (13475 bytes) the middle of the Karoo. Cradled in the crook of the Sundays River, to the approaching traveler, Graaff Reinet seems like a verdant oasis in the stark surrounding landscape.
Graaff Reinet was established in 1786 and was named after Jacob de Graaff and his wife Cornelia Reynet. It is one of two towns in our country that was named after Dutch Governors.

Graaff Reinet is home to more National Monuments than any other town or city in South Africa (more than 200). Round every corner a piece of history is revealed to interesting visitors.
The town is uniquely surrounded by the Karoo Nature Reserve. There are over 220 recorded species of bird life, 336 plants and 43 mammals. Included in the reserve is the Valley of Desolation, consisting of sheer cliffs and precariously balanced columns of dolomite which rise 120 meters from the valley floor, against the timeless backdrop of vast plains of the Camdeboo.
http://www.graaffreinet.co.za/

Cradled in a crook of the Sundays River, to the approaching traveller, Graaff -Reinet seems like a verdant oasis in the stark surrounding landscape.

Graaff-Reinet is home to more National Monuments than any other town or city in South Africa. Round every corner a piece of our history is revealed to intersted visitors.

A short stroll down Cradock Street will reveal more than 50 of these historic homes. Take a walk down Parsonage Street in the centre of town - on the western end is the seat of the former Dutch authority of the Cape (Drostdy Hotel), while facing it at the estern end lies the erstwhile ecclesiastical power.

Or visit Reinet House, which forms part of a museum complex of four historic builidings.

The imposing stone structure of the Grootkerk at the norhern end of Church Street overlooks the commercial hub of the town.

Just a few kilometres north-west of Graaf-Reinet lies the Valley of Desolation. A steep and narrow road leads into the mountains that surround the valley. A circular hiking trail starts at the car parks and leads to wonderful views of Graaff-Reinet and of the endless expanse of the surrounding Karoo.
The valley was formed millions of years ago by weathering erosion. Heat and cold, drought and water caused the rocks to crumble and brought about the bizarre rock formations.