Touws River (town)

Province

Touwsrivier ( Afrikaans ) or Touws River ( English) is a small town at the foot of Matroosberg in the Breede Valley Municipality, district, Cape Winelands, Western Cape Province in South Africa. 2011 the town had 8,126 inhabitants. The city is located in the Hex River Valley, 901 meters from the N1 highway that connects Cape Town and Johannesburg. Matjiesfontein is 55 km away.

History

The settlement and Montagu Road railway station was founded on November 7, 1877 on the farm De Draai, as the railway line between Worcester and Matjiesfontein was opened to traffic. She was the first major locomotive depot on the journey from Cape Town to the north and east. The station was placed at the junction of the railway line with the Touws River. She was named after the Colonial Secretary Sir John Montagu. Since this naming was a bit misleading - the town of Montagu is many miles away on the road to Swellendam - the railway station and thus the present city on 1 January 1883 renamed to Touwsrivier. City right then she received in 1962.

In the early years of passenger transport by railway had the passengers in case of flooding by the river often a forced stay at this place, sometimes for several days. For this residence was built by the Cape Government Railway own hotel. The Frere hotel had a monopoly until 1921.

Attractions

• Aquila Private Game Reserve
• In the surrounding mountains of the San rock paintings