Vast, moody, lonely, melancholy, autumnal in its moods and stillness. Remote, elusive, harsh in the midday sun, but transformed by the approach of night into a place of gorgeous sunsets, with cool shadows rising out of valleys and hollows, slowly enveloping the land in a dark blanket of sleep while the heavens sparkle with so brilliant a display of stars that the Karoo seems to be washed with a soft dew of their falling light.

A world away from the Garden Route, Cape Town and The Winelands. This is the route that returnees to South Africa will be taking in the future, without question. The sudden change in landscape, into the interior, is dramatic and then you drift into another age. Prince Albert is a gem of a village and is the gateway to the spectacular Swartberg Pass and a fascinating story of Die Hel (The Hell)….

Prince Albert is the definitive Karoo dorp: a living record of South African rural life over the last two centuries, during which well-watered orchards and colourful gardens have been patiently coaxed from the harsh African wilderness. Essentially a farming town, it is inhabited by people who live close to the earth. An excellent infrastructure and crime free environment preserves its history and natural beauty. There is a nameless quality of life here that has lured visitors from around Southern Africa and the globe to return to make it their home. Prince Albert and its surroundings offer attractions for everybody from hikers and bikers, to birdwatchers, stargazers and botanists. Artists & writers find themselves enthralled by the stark and dramatic beauty of the endless plains and the towering peaks.

Prince Albert is architecturally a small gem. The last 150 years of South African rural history is captured in its 11 national monuments and eclectic mix of Cape Dutch, Victorian and Karoo architecture. More than anything else it is a place to slow down, forget the hectic pace of urban life and rediscover the bare essentials such as sunsets & thunderstorms over the plains, clear morning air & night skies crowned with stars. The high wide sky and broad landscapes have infused the community with a peacefulness and patience which has equipped them to endure past hardships prepared them to face any eventuality.

Prince Albert lies, on the Great Karoo side of the Swartberg mountain range, at the northern entrance to the spectacular Swartberg Pass, without doubt one of the most sensational passes in Africa. The pass is not tarred, and can be treacherous after rain.

Approaching from the Little Karoo side the road ascends steadily for 7km, climbing magnificent mountain slopes covered in watsonias and proteas. Eventually, 1568m above sea-level (over 1220m above the level of the Little Karoo), the road crosses a saddle on the summit ridge of the range. If the southern side of the pass has been scenically exciting, then the northern side can only be classed as sensational.

The road immediately commences a most involved descent. Just below the summit ridge, in a stand of pine trees, lie the ruins of the old building originally erected to shelter convict labourers employed on the construction of the pass between 1881 and 1888 by Thomas Bain, son of the famous Andrew Geddes Bain, builder of Bain’s Kloof Pass. This ruined building is reputedly haunted by the ghost of an unfotunate traveller caught in one of the snowstorms which often block the pass in winter. Just beyond the ruins of the old building, 1.5 km from the summit of the pass, the road crosses a perennial stream of crystal-clear water around which may be seen many lovely watsonias in spring.

Directly beyond the stream is a forestry station, while 1,5 km further on , a turn-off provides a rough, wild and woolly switchback-railway-type drive to Gamkaskloof , or Die Hel, 57 km to the west. This road to the secluded valley is not to be carelessly followed but, for those to prepared to drive with caution, it yields many remarkable views with a final descent into the valley which is breathtaking.

The Swartberg Pass continues to descend for 10 km with zigzags, serpentines, twists and steep gradients carrying it down the face of a flame-coloured precipice. The road then winds out of the mountains through a canyon full of echoes, the rock strata of which are warped, arched and daubed with splashes of vivid colour effects against the rocks.

The mountain's microclimate supports fynbos and a rich bird life, in contrast with the arid-zone flora and fauna outside its cool shady kloofs. The Swartberg Pass was declared a National Monument in its Centenary year, 1988. Those who have crossed the pass will never forget it.

This beautiful, secluded valley, roughly 20km long and less than 1 km wide, lies hidden in the heart of the Swartberg Mountains. It was inaccessible by road until 1963. Its many streams and fertile soil once supported a community who lived there for more than 100 years in isolation. Also known as "Die Hel" it is shrouded in romantic notions of mythical communities lost in hidden mountain valleys. Relic farms and several restored cottages remain to stimulate the romance. Access was only on foot and harvestings of dried fruit and honey were carried out by pack donkey - along seemingly impassable routes, for barter with the outside world.

Today, travellers can drive into Gamkaskloof along Eland's Pass - an unforgettable journey of breathtaking zigzags, dropping dramatically to the valley 1000 meters below. The turnoff to Gamkaskloof is 25 km from Prince Albert, on the Swartberg Pass ascent. Visitors should allow at least 6 hours for the return trip. Lovingly restored self catering accommodation and camping facilities are available in the valley, allowing the imagination to wander through the web of stories, both mythical and true, of what life must have been like in this hidden valley.

For more info on things to do and see around Prince Albert see the TO DO IN Prince Albert page