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This is a historical and architectural gem and it is quite clear why Nelson Mandela renamed his home after it! The museum is full of interest, but the museum precinct itself held the most interest to me. There was no guide on hand, which was a pity...one needs to book tour, but I had read quite a bit about it, which helped. Foreign visitors may need more explanation of cultural and political significance of site, especially links to Khoi khoi and coloured identity. …
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Date of experience: July 2017
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Turkishdreams_11 wrote a review May 2017
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa15 contributions16 helpful votes
This South African hidden jewel is a must for local and international visitors. So much valuable history of which very few people know. It is lovely to walk amongst the large old trees and visit all the various areas. The old mill is still functioning after decades and they actually actively ground there to bake bread. The museum is beautiful and it is very interesting to see what a major role the Europeans played on the development of South Africa.…
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Date of experience: May 2017
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We visited this national monument on 11 February, a sunny Saturday morning. Church and restaurant were closed at that time. There are a multitude of thatched buildings which all appeared to be relatively well maintained unlike most of the Genadendal village itself. The mission and church grounds are large and generally clean without any litter. Lose horses wander around grazing on whatever they can find.Crafts like printing, pottery and carpentry are housed in dedicated buildings but are apparently only open and occupied by working artisans during the week. Strangely, the lady at the information centre didn't even know the age of the mission station which was established by the Moravian Church in 1738. However, a young gentleman suddenly appeared who opened and activated the water mill for us - I was amazed at the large amount of water available from a stream at this driest time of the year. The gears driven by the water mill worked well and the mill is occasionally still used to mill grain. Interestingly, the gears could alternatively even be driven by a small steam engine housed inside the mill building. Although this steam engine looked at least from the outside clean and neat, our guide told us that sadly nobody knows how to activate it any longer since the end of Apartheid! There is also a large accommodation complex right next to the main road. While we were not able to see any of the rooms because they were occupied by guests, at least the communal areas all looked neat and clean. I suggest to visit this very interesting place during the week and combine it with a visit to the romantic village of Greyton, about 6km away. For inquiries the mission station can be contacted by email: genadendalmuseum@gmail.com…
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Date of experience: February 2017
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This is the oldest mission station in southern Africa and seeing it was established by a German missionary in 1738 it is well maintained. The church precinct is cool and traquil even on a stinking hot day because the old oaks create a cool canopy. We didn't spend long enough as here was lots to see. During the week there are working exhibits of old skills like milling, pottery, printing and baking. For the hungry there is an onsite restaurant (check opening times) , for the historically minded there is a museum, in which you can follow the development of the mission from its inception. THe church can be visited but is closed over weekends .There are gardens and some interesting trees to be seen. There are also a number of day hikes , including one to see rock art from the Khoisan days. accommodation is available in dormitories or self catering flats. Horses roam free but were a bit skinny for my liking. Its definitely worth a visit possibly a stayover so the surrounding hikes can be explored.…
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Date of experience: February 2017
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Genadendal is worth a visit, there is a lovelg museum that showcases developments in the area since the Moravian missionaries arrived here in 1738. Avoid the rest of the town, it is a dump.
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Date of experience: February 2017
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