De Rust was established in 1900 on a portion of Meirings farm. Petrus Johannes Meiring extensively explored the Swartberg Mountain range and discovered the route through it, following the Karoo’s Great River (Groot Rivier) which flows through the gorge, and crosses the 25km tarred road 25 times. This gorge and meandering pass is now known as the Meiringspoort. Long before the village of De Rust was established, it had already been used as a rest stop before trekking through the poort (canyon).
De Rust is the perfect base for an activity-filled holiday, from climbing and mountain biking in the Kamanassie, to exploring the Cango Caves, Meiringspoort or Seweweekspoort, to visiting Gamkaskloof (also known as “Die Hel” or “The Hell”) and Prince Albert via the Swartberg Pass. Visit an ostrich farm or take a wine-route excursion to spoil your taste buds with some of the country’s finest cuisine, or go fossil-hunting on the endless plains of the Great Karoo. Return to De Rust to rest and relax and soak up the beauty of the mountains.
Hotel Oliviers Rust is a top-class hotel in Oudtshoorn, Western cape .
