About
Franschhoek ([fransˈɦuk]; Afrikaans for "French Corner", Dutch spelling before 1947 Fransche Hoek) is a small town in the Western Cape Province and one of the oldest towns of the Republic of South Africa. It is about 75 kilometres from Cape Town and has a population of slightly over 15,000 people. Since 2000 it has been incorporated into Stellenbosch Municipality. Franschhoek's original inhabitants were the San people, who lived in this place long before the Khoikhoi. The spread of the Khoikhoi herders into the Cape resulted in a conflict of interests with the San hunter-gatherer inhabitants of the area. A major source of conflict was competition for game, such as zebra, antelope, and wildebeest. Although the Khoikhoi were herders, they relied heavily on the spoils of the hunt for their daily food. == History == In 1688 French Huguenot refugees began populating the valley establishing farms and businesses bringing with them their experience in agriculture. The name of the area soon changed to le Coin Français ("the French Corner"), and later to Franschhoek (Dutch for "French Corner"), with many of the settlers naming their new farms after the areas in France from which they came. La Motte, Champagne, La Cotte, Cabrière, La Provence, Bourgogne, La Terra de Luc and La Dauphine were among some of the first established farms — most of which still retain their original Cape Dutch farm houses today. SOURCESWikipedia