Drakenstein Mountains
Both the mountain and the valley were named in honour of Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Drakenstein who visited the Cape as Commissioner-General in 1685. Drakenstein was the name of his estate in the Netherlands. The total Drakenstein consists of the Klein Drakenstein and Groot Drakenstein. Klein Drakenstein is just East of Paarl where it is crossed by the Du Toitskloof Pass which includes the Huguenot Tunnel. The Groot Drakenstein features higher peaks such as Victoria Peak (1,590 m. This is where the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve is found which is the wettest place in South Africa (2000mm per year) falling mainly in the winter months. The Wemmershoek dam can be found here too. The geology of the area consists of Table Mountain sandstone and Vegetation in the area is of the Cape Floral Kingdom biome. There are several footpaths through the mountains that are popular with hikers.
