The private cottages of Akademie Street Guesthouses are located in the quiet side streets of Franschhoek: a charming French Huguenot town in the Cape winelands, which is home to some of South Africa's finest restaurants.
While visiting one of the oldest towns in the Republic of South Africa and you are welcomed and intrigued by French artistic flair you will realise immediately why Franschoek was given the clever name, 'French corner'.
Some people come here just to eat at the forty famous restaurants, but others who love to indulge in food and wine, tend to stay for at least five days. And if you love to spoil yourself then best you stay a while at the Akademie Street Guest Houses!
Each of the four guesthouses in the Akademie Street collection is unique and has their own private garden and swimming pool. Oortuiging, or a place of conviction, is a spacious cottage furnished with Cape-style antiques, comprising of two bedrooms and a kitchen and lounge that open onto a shaded patio.
The second charming garden suite of joy, Vreugde, sleeps two and its guests have their own private garden with a swimming pool and patio.
Gelatenheid, a popular favourite, is a regal double storey villa overlooking a swimming pool and fountain courtyard. This villa houses a loft bedroom, sitting room romantic outside bath, spacious lounge and kitchenette, with French doors leading onto the courtyard and swimming pool otherwise Uitsig, sleeps two offering lovely views of the Franschoek mountains.
All of the different Akademie Street Guesthouses join through winding pathways and meet at the beautiful site of Twyfeling - the Cape Dutch home where breakfasts are served under a vine-covered patio by your hosts Catherine and Arthur.
A few streets down from Akademie Street is Franschhoek's bustling Main Street with its many first-class restaurants and sidewalk bistros, galleries showcasing South African art, boutiques stores and delis. The surrounding winelands are peppered with wine estates (some of the finest in South Africa) that are open for wine tastings and cellar tours.
