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Location |
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Heidelberg is a town in Western Cape, South Africa. It is located near South Africa's south coast, on the N2 highway, 276km east of Cape Town. Heidelberg is just east to the Overberg region, and some consider it the beginning of the Garden Route. |
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History |
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The river, Duivenhoks was named after Izaak Schryver in 1689 because of all the doves he found in this area. In 1725 Andries Gous received a grant for the farm Doornboom and settlers arrived in the valley. The area was part of the Riversdale district. On 14 September 1855, the Riversdale church council bought a portion of the farm Doornboom for £5000 on which to lay out a town. Heidelberg was named after an ancient city in Germany. A church and a school were built and became the centre point of the town. In 1855 the first erven was sold and in 1862 the very first town management board was implemented. The opening of the railway in 1903 provided the link with the outside world. |
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Climate |
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Heidelberg normally receives about 588 mm of rain per year, with most rainfall occurring during summer. It receives the lowest rainfall (0mm) in July and the highest (112mm) in January. The average midday temperatures for Heidelberg range from 16.6°C in June to 26.3°C in January. The region is the coldest during July when the mercury drops to 0.2°C on average during the night. |
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