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A jewel in Cape Towns crown, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens is found on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain and is home to more than 22000 indigenous plants, demonstrating the cornucopia of the Cape floral kingdom.

Kirstenbosch Botanical gardens was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2004. It was originally established in 1913 to ensure that the extensive Cape Floral Kingdom continued to flourish.  The 1305 acre (528ha) National Garden is designed to be appreciated and it it’s sprawling lawns and paved, meandering walking paths make it possible to take in the splendor of the Gardens natural beauty. Useful signboards provide educational information on the plants and trees along the paths. For visitors seeking more information about the foliage, there is a free daily walking tour at 10:00 and a golf cart tour every hour for R45, for the less energetic.

A conservatory houses plants from different South African habitats, there is also the Gondwanaland Garden display  which exhibits plants that were present 3.2 billion years ago when the continents were joined as one.  There is also a Cycad Garden that displays plants that date back 200 million years and a Fynbos walk that demonstrates the unique Cape Floral Kingdom flora. There is also a medicinal plants exhibit named the Useful Plants Garden, containing plants that are used to treat various ailments. 

During the summer months Kirstenbosch Gardens are well known for their open air concerts, where both local and international bands play for large crowds on Sunday evenings as the sun sets. These summer sunset concerts have become very popular, so bring your picnic blanket and picnic basket and get there early to ensure a good spot. The atmosphere at these weekly concerts is extraordinary and should not be missed by any of our guests staying at our luxury cape rentals located in Cape Towns most elegant suburbs.

Swan Lake is most probably the best known classical ballet currently on stage. Since its first staging in 1877 it has changed somewhat, in both the synopsis and musical score. Composed by Tchaikovsky, the first of three ballets before his death in 1893, it was initially much criticized, mainly due to poor production.

During the late 1880’s and early 1890’s some changes was made to the original choreography and some parts of the musical score. The revival premiered in 1895 with great success and it’s mainly this musical score, ballet companies use when performing Swan Lake.

This weekend Cape Town City Ballet in association with Artscape plays host to English National Ballet principal ballerina, Daria Klimentova, along with her partner, Vadim Muntagirov, guest starring Swan Lake.

Klimentova was born in the Czech Republic and trained at the Prague State Conservatory. After dancing with the National Theatre Ballet Company in Prague, Daria travelled to South Africa in 1992 to join the Cape Town City Ballet as a principal dancer. She became a favourite among Cape Town audiences and had a substantial following, before making her way to London to join the English National Ballet Company as a senior principal ballerina. Daria has maintained a close relationship with the Cape Town City Ballet over the years and is set to enthral Cape Town audiences once again, with her portrayal of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake.

Russian-born Vadim Muntagirov, the latest dance sensation in Europe, will partner Klimentova as Prince Siegfried. He completed his training at the Royal Ballet School in London, joined the English National Ballet in 2009, and with a bevy of competition wins and awards to his name, was promoted to first soloist in 2010. Muntagirov is a ballet director's dream; long legs: fastidiously pointed feet; jump-jet elevation and a real nobility of line. 

The Cape Town City Ballet's production of Swan Lake will be accompanied by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. Megan Swart, Xola Putye, Laura Bosenberg and Thomas Thorne, along with guest artists Daria Klimentova and Vadim Muntagirov, will be dancing the lead roles at selected performances.

Cape Town winters are known for cold, dark rainy days, punctuated with fierce winds. Not exactly a selling feature for the city, her inhabitants rushing from one warm, dry building to the next.

What then, could one do while the beaches are hardly sunny friendly areas and the mountain a shade behind the clouds? There are the normal wine farms, shopping malls and theatres, but winter also brings out some of the best art in Cape Town.

With an abundance of galleries, big and small, well-known or independent, classic to contemporary, finding the right gallery might result in a treasure hunt without a prize.  

Where would you start then? Here’s a list of galleries and exhibitions to start of with;

Whatiftheworld / Gallery

Almost as important as the work a gallery exhibits, is its name and vision. Whatiftheworld not only asks the question as its name suggests, but provide a platform to a new generation of contemporary artists. This is a wonderful alternative to traditional art structures and institutions.

Iziko South African National Gallery

After a leisurely walk through the Company Gardens you end up at the steps of the Iziko South African Museum and to your left the Iziko South African National Gallery, home to an impressive permanent collection that boasts the like of The Butcher Boys by Jane Alexander.

Current exhibitions include The Indian Drum Magazine in the 1950’s and Ranjith Kally: Through the lens of Durban’s veteran photographer.  

The Pièce de Résistance though is Tretchikoff: The Peoples Painter, the first complete retrospect of this remarkable artist’s work in South Africa.

Museum Photographic Art Gallery

I haven’t heard of many galleries dedicated to photography or lens based art (and if I’m wrong on this, please send me in the right direction), which is the reason this gallery caught my attention. Every season MUSEUM chooses a maximum of 10 artists to exhibit for 3 months, using the 3-level gallery space for maximum exposure. These photographers are chosen essentially for their ability to instinctually excite the curators, both accomplished photographers and artists in their own right.

May these be the first clues to put you on the right track to finding Cape Town’s best art.