Piketberg

Piketberg
—  Town  —
Piketberg Location of the town in Western Cape
Piketberg Location of the town in South Africa
Coordinates: 32°54′S 18°46′E / 32.9°S 18.767°E / -32.9; 18.767
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
District municipality	West Coast District Municipality
Local municipality	Bergrivier Local Municipality
Population (2006)
– Total	7,500
Time zone	SAST (UTC+2)
Postal code	7320
Area code(s)	022

Piketberg is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. The original spelling of the name was "Piquetberg".

The town is in the foothills of the Piketberg mountains, a range of low mountains formed from Table Mountain Sandstone.

The area around the mountains is conducive to the farming of wheat, while the area on top of the mountains, being cooler and generally frost-free, is suited to the farming of fruit and Rooibos Tea.

Piketberg possesses a large white Dutch Reformed Church designed by the architect Carl Otto Hager in his trademark neo-Gothic style.^[1]

The area was inhabited by the Khoikhoi and the San before the arrival of settlers of European extraction and there is still well-preserved San rock art in the mountains. There was once a small military post in the town to protect the livestock of farmers against depredations by the Khoikhoi.

References

1. ^ "Piketberg Tourism and Accommodation: Visitor Information Centre". The Western Cape. http://www.thewesterncape.co.za/town.php?town=151. Retrieved June 19, 2010. 

External links

• Official site

Coordinates: 32°54′S 18°46′E / 32.9°S 18.767°E / -32.9; 18.767