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Montagu lies nestled against the beautiful Langeberg Mountains on the famous and scenic Route 62, conveniently located more or less halfway between the Cape and the Garden Route — and it is the dorpie in this greater area that wins more awards than any other little town.
In August, Montagu won 2025 Best Dorpie in the KFM Best of the Cape Awards, having also won it twice before — the last time in 2021 — and being a finalist every year since its first win.
Montagu has been winning awards since 2002 when it was voted Engen Town of the Year.
With the semigration phenomenon of people moving to quieter small towns in the country, property prices in Montagu have shot up.
I first got to know Montagu when we visited one of our Knysna friends who moved there.
Ben’s house is built right on the foothills of the Langeberg and I tease him that he bought the mountain.
I fell in love with the town, with its Drakensberg feel, and would live there at the drop of a hat.
A couple of years ago I visited the Montagu Country Hotel, which is the only genuine Art Deco hotel in SA.
People visit Montagu to see the hotel which is quite famous for being home to period furniture, ornaments and art characterised by the Art Deco style.
The original hotel that was built in 1875 burned down and was rebuilt in 1922.
This architectural gem was recently refurbished, but all in keeping with the iconic theme.
We stayed in one of the brand new garden rooms which was every bit as lovely as those with mountain views.
There are now an impressive 29 individually furnished en suite rooms, all with their own unique Art Deco or Victorian features, 13 luxury rooms, a host of classic rooms, and two self-catering units, one which is wheelchair-friendly.
Step inside the glitz and glamour of the 1920s when you spend the night in an unforgettable Art Deco room in the main building.
Think curvy furniture, monochrome tiles and gleaming wooden floors. There’s something unique to discover in every room, nook and cranny here.
The south-facing deck of the Feathers & Flatcaps coffee shop and cocktail lounge is perfect for morning coffee or cocktails, looking out over the street, the town and, of course, the mountains.
Charlestons Restaurant serves breakfast and dinners overlooking peaceful green gardens resplendent with their clivias and other bloomers at this time of the year.
There’s an on-site wellness centre, two outdoor pools, while the hotel is one of the first in the country to have a 22kW DC electric vehicle (EV) charging point installed for convenient on-site charging.
It is child and pet friendly, a perfect base for a family wanting to explore Montagu.
PJ Basson is the face of the Montagu Country Hotel, but also the go-to man in town, having lived here for more than 20 years with his wife, Colene.
He is famous for his cars, which have tickled the fancy of overseas guests, but also carried many a bride and celebrity.
Book a trip in an American dream car — a powder blue 1956 or a chilli-red 1964 Cadillac Sedan DeVille — and it’s more than likely that Basson will be your tour guide.
For car enthusiasts, this is a thrill as on the drive around the town, Basson will point out all the historical and important sites.
Also handy is that the hotel is home to Montagu Tourism (the neighbouring town of Ashton also falls under the auspice of Montagu Tourism).
Montagu Tourism manager Mareletta Mundey has been doing this job for 17 years so guests should pop in for brochures, tips, and to get her recommendations on any and everything you can do and see in the area.
“I am happy to say Mata [Montagu-Ashton Tourism Association] has won many Cape winelands District Municipality Mayoral Tourism Awards in various categories like Best Tourism Office in the Cape winelands district, competing against towns like Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek, among others,” Mundey said.
“As tourism manager, I take pride in my town and all the amazing offerings — I appreciate every person’s contribution and all the passion that drives us.
“Taking pride in our town is also a reason we win — because we are doing everything in our power to keep our town pretty and welcoming.
“It’s a special, caring community,” Mundey said, adding that the whole town pulled together to get a flow of visitors to the area.
Mundey said Montagu had enjoyed year-on-year growth in tourism, with an average of 30,000 people visiting and staying over every month.
Considering only 16,000 people lived in Montagu, it spoke volumes, she said.
Montagu is fast becoming an adventure tourism destination, close enough to Cape Town to attract outdoor and adventure enthusiasts over weekends, with its gravel roads, cycle tours, hiking trails and rock climbing opportunities.
What’s on offer:
• Montagu is renowned for cycling. Rent a bike from the shop in the hotel and follow marked-out maps for all levels of proficiency. The hotel offers bike storage for serious cyclists who bring their own bikes.
• The town is surrounded by mountains and boasts a plethora of great hiking routes. Get your map from tourism at the hotel and get walking.
• It is also one of the top rock-climbing destinations in SA as you are surrounded by amazing rock formations. Ask the tourism office to put you in touch with a guide for rock-climbing, mountain hiking or even abseiling.
• Walking around this town is a history and art lesson in one. There are 26 historical treasures on the Historical Walk through Montagu map. See one of the oldest houses in SA while you enjoy the picturesque Georgian, Victorian and Cape Dutch architecture.
• Wine lovers should visit the Robertson Wine Valley and Ashton Winery.
• There are tractor trips to the summit of the Langeberg mountain as The Protea Farm pulls its load of sightseers up the mountain, reaching an altitude of 1,500m above sea level and offering a bird’s-eye view of the Koo Valley, down into the Robertson Valley.
• There are also hot springs in the area.
• Visit the Montagu Farmstall in Bath Street or Locarno Dried Fruit and Nuts in Du Toit Street for dried peaches, raisins, sultanas, nuts and fruit sweets sold at great prices.
Spring and early summer are the perfect time to visit Montagu as it gets frighteningly hot in January and February.
The hotel belongs to Cape Country Routes, which is a leading group of owner-operated and managed accommodation and activity establishments with more than 20 privately owned hotels, lodges and guest houses. Book here.
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