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Calitzdorp | Vosburg

Calitzdorp
Day 5: 20 December 2005 TUESDAY

We reached Calitzdorp at about lunchtime and stopped at a restaurant off the main road where a number of artistic people were socializing. The walls boasted artwork that was for sale and the tables in the corridors were filled with pamphlets and odds and ends for sale.

It was a house that had been converted into a restaurant. We had our lunch on the back porch overlooking a large garden with a pool. Lanterns were hanging from the beam and old ashtrays that were yellow from age drew Etiennes’ attention.

Calitzdorp was a well-developed town. Tall trees were found scattered throughout the town. Small shops were all along the main road and the main street was humming with activity.

It was approximately *km from Calitzdorp to Vosburg.

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A Short History:
Calitzdorp was originally a lake. Early writings prove that the khoi called Kannaland ‘the valley with no grass’. In 1821, land was granted to JJ and MC Calitz who named it Buffelsvlei. This name was derived from the local vegetation and animals found here. A larger church and school were needed and both buildings were completed in 1912. The church has a neo-Byzantine style with a Marseilles roof. It is a good example of the sandstone architecture of the ostrich-era in the little Karoo. It was declared a national monument in 1991.

Links:
http://www.calitzdorp.co.za/history.htm

Additional Pictures:

Forgotten Towns of the Karoo
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