Heidelberg, Western Cape

Province

Heidelberg is a city in the municipality in the district Hessequa Eden, Western Cape Province in South Africa. It has 8,259 inhabitants ( 2011).

Heidelberg lies on the river Duivenhoks, immediately after its exit from the Langeberg Mountains. It is just off the South African National Road N2 and at the western end of the South African " Garden Route ", a much visited tourist region.

The area was explored in 1689 by the discoverer Izaak Schryver. 1725 founded here a Bure named Andries Gous a farm named Door Boom ( " thorn tree "). In 1855, acquired the Churches of the district Riversdal in which the area was at the time, a piece of land of the farm land and founded with the construction of a church and a school, the city, because of their similar topographical position and with reference to the Heidelberg Catechism by the German city of Heidelberg was named.

Among the tourist destinations in the area include the Bontebok National Park and the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve.

Others

There are in South Africa in the Gauteng Province yet another city of the same name: Heidelberg (Gauteng).