The Stadsaal Caves’ walls demand attention; not in a way that one would imagine Buckingham Palace or Nkandla would but rather in a subtle, modest kind of way.
A British visitor, Russ, who I met on our weekend away in the Cederberg actually turned to our small group as we stood beneath the ochre contours and said; “This place is really special; you can feel it.” I couldn’t agree more – the energy of the area is powerful, almost spiritual so it’s no wonder that the caves have been aptly described as ‘Nature’s Own Cathedral’.
The Stadsaal (Afrikaans word meaning City Hall) Caves in the Cederburg mountains, roughly 4 hours drive from Cape Town, are some of the Cape’s most understated gems. This, in addition to the nearby Khoisan Rock Art known as the ‘Elephant paintings’, makes this area of the Cederberg Wilderness one of the most spectacular outdoor spaces I’ve ever seen.
I couldn’t help but capture the gorgeous views at every angle with my camera and iPhone – I am a professional storyteller after all. I had to keep reminding myself that I was in fact in the Western Cape, South Africa, and not somewhere in the Nevada dessert where you would probably see similar natural rock configurations.
I’ll let my photographs speak for themselves [To view larger versions of each image, simply click on it and voila.]
Definitely make a plan to visit this Cederberg spot but please note that you do need a permit to access the site. It’s totally worth it though.
How would I describe my exploration of the nooks and crannies at the Stadsaal Caves and Elephant paintings?
Mind blowing.