Babylonstoren lies at the foot of the Simonsberg Mountain between Paarl and Franschoek in the Western Cape region of South Africa.
It all started in 1692 when Governor Simon van der Stel granted Pieter van der Bijl a small piece of land at the foot of a conical hill. It was named in Dutch, Babilonishe Toren. Some elements of the now restored buildings reach back 300 years. Yet the outlook now is decidedly modern.
Today it’s a farm, a boutique hotel, a restaurant, greenhouse, bakery, charcutery, cellar as well as an organic food garden of great diversity: eight acres of fruit, vegetables and herbs. The formal design of the garden was inspired by the Company’s garden in Cape Town and designed by Patrice Taravella, the French architect. The garden offers nourishment to those who visit it, either in the form of a meal at Babel (The restaurant) or in a deeper sense; time spent wandering among the leafy rows in the garden. An abundant space open for all to enjoy.
Texte et photos Robbert Koene
