Wupperthal Accommodation

Travelling to Wupperthal is not for the faint hearted – the village is isolated and is only accessible via a gravel road from Clanwilliam over the Parkhuis Pass. Wupperthal is just over 25kms from Clanwilliam, but due to the nature of the winding road the distance is approximately 75kms. The not-too-easy road takes the traveler through the Cederberg and down to the lovely green oasis of Wupperthal. The town is tranquil and the buildings mostly unspoilt due to the remoteness of the area. Its enchanting countryside calm is almost addictive.

This quaint little town was founded in 1830 by the Rev. Johann Gottlieb Leipoldt of the Rhenish Missionary Society. The village became home to a large number of freed slaves and the Rhenish Missionary Society started several industries, some of which were, masonry, millinery, leather tanning, woodwork, thatching and shoe-making (an industry that is still running in the village to this day). The community remains small and close-knit. A crop which has played a major role in the town’s existence is rooibos, a locally grown tea – but fruit, dried legumes and rolled tobacco are also on their list of exports.

They are extremely proud to have one of the oldest shoe factories in South Africa. A visit to the almost two century old shoe factory is like taking a step back in time: literally. Employing age-old leather cutting and sewing techniques, the skilled hands of the shoe factory's employees are famous throughout the Cederberg.

The skilled craftsmen and women who run the factory are, in some cases, third generation shoe makers, so you can rest assured you'll get a quality product, for a good price, in a shoe-shopping destination like none other in the world!