The Witkranspoort just to the east of Prince Albert, is so named for the tinge of white and sometimes light green colour on the sides of the mountains, probably caused by lichens surviving on the rocky slopes and mainly out of the harsh Karoo sunlight. Next time you drive to this lovely Karoo town, remember to note the existence of the poort and admire the history and scenery. The poort was also the scene of several skirmishes between the British and Boer forces in 1899.
The town is packed with national monuments and of course, the NG Kerk takes centre stage and is immaculately maintained. You can also visit a real Italian eatery in the village, called the Lazy Lizard, where you can enjoy local delicacies and sublime Italian coffee. And get yourself some dried figs grown just outside the town - they are simply the best!
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WITKRANSPOORT R407
Tip of the week: If you observe a traffic violation, note the registration number, time and date (and make/colour of vehicle) and report the incident to traffic authorities or in the case of commercial vehicles, to the company owners.
Trygve Roberts
Editor
Latest News! 4th June, 2015
Written by Trygve Roberts
A perfect Karoo dorpie
- Photo: Photo - Wikipedia
As usual our production team is in full swing with several great new passes having been published in the past week which were filmed mainly in the area between Prince Albert and Meiringspoort. Winter has arrived in the Cape with a sudden and dramatic drop in temperature, coupled with heavy rain. Our recent filming trip revealed just how low dam levels are in the Karoo and just how welcome these winter rains are.
Today's featured pass is in fact a poort, rather than a pass, with hardly any change in altitude, but that in no way diminishes the grandeur of the scenery. This poort, which few people even notice after having driven either the Swartberg Pass or Meiringspoort, is the final bit of rugged mountain scenery, before one arrives in the hospitable and historic little Karoo dorp of Prince Albert.
We explore some of the history and uncover some weird facts about the village. For example - did you know that this is the only place in South Africa where Spanish jamon is produced?
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