A Journey Through History: The Hemel-En-Aarde Valley- Angela Heslop

The Hemel-en-Aarde Vallei or, in English, “The Valley of Heaven-and-Earth” Valley” is believed to take its name from the writings of one Brother Schmidt, a Moravian missionary in the 19th century. The presentation takes you on a journey through the Valley, looking mainly at its more recent history. But, before beginning that journey, learning something about the Valley’s distant past.The Valley was formed between 3 and 5 million years ago, as the Cape Fold Mountains slowly took shape, and is about 37 kms long, from the present Sandbaai interchange to Shaw’s Pass, near Caledon. The Onrus River runs through the valley, feeding the De Bos Dam. Babilonstoren (Tower of Babylon) is the highest peak, reaching 1167metres in height on the south side of the Valley.

In pre-colonial times, dating back 1000 to 500 years ago, nomadic Khoi-San hunter gatherers lived in the Valley on a seasonal basis. However, these groups had moved on long before the first white settlers arrived. The first Europeans to set foot in the Hemel-en-Aarde were the Portuguese in the

15 Century. Today the valley is rich in wine estates, some farming, Camphill and Volmoed communities, a Camino trail and some fascinating history stories.