Photo by Thinus Maritz: www.tm-media.co.za
NAPIER – A VILLAGE WITH HEART
Napier, the small country village between Bredasdorp and Caledon, has changed substantially over the last decade or two. As conditions in the big cities become less attractive, many self-sufficient people, professionals or entrepreneurs, move away to small towns.
Napier is one such town. However, even more specific to Napier is the attraction it holds for creative beings. Artists, writers, toymakers, architects, potters, nurses, gardeners, slow-food restauranteurs and antique collectors are just a sample of those who have chosen to live an alternative lifestyle here in the village.
A very special community spirit has developed in Napier, and the long-standing residents seem to have been drawn into a new way of life influenced by the newcomers.
Napier now has a vibrant community of people living a simpler, cleaner, healthier and less hectic lifestyle. There is a need to be closer to the soil, and this is evident by the number of residents with organic home vegetable gardens. The Saturday Morning Farmers Market provides an outlet for locally produced goods, such as fresh produce, honey, olives, home-made mueslis, breads and cheeses and natural hair and body products. The village is also home to a micro-brewery and several boutique wineries.
Community self-awareness courses include meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates, whilst many people attend book and craft clubs, undertake charity work, or are involved with animal protection.
Many Napier residents belong to the outstanding local a capella choir. Concerts are held a few times annually in the historic Dutch Reformed Church (c. 1838) which houses a magnificent organ. These concerts are hugely popular and very well attended by the local community as well as visitors from afar.
Many of the members of the local Botanical Society do wonderful work including alien clearing, informative outings, and even discovering new species of fynbos.
Local guides are readily available to give you a tour of the town and inform you of points of interest and details concerning the history and changing culture of Napier. Enquire at the Napier Tourism office, 028 423 3325 or .