The Castle in Clarens

If you ever dreamed of being a queen, then this Castle in Clarens is the right accommodation for you. Located just 3.5 hours from Joburg, and situated between Clarens and Golden Gate National Park, you will feel like the Queen of Clarens in this magnificent Rapunzel style tower.

We stayed 3 nights for Valentine’s Day weekend. I booked this spot 3 months in advance to ensure we’d live out my castle dreams, haha. I suggest looking at weekend dates 2 months in advance if you’re particular about which weekend you want to go.

The Basics:

• 2 bedroom, 4 people max lodging
• R1500/pp on weekends, R700/pp on weekdays
• Full kitchen and braai area
• 2 nights recommended
• No Wi-Fi but we had 4G with MTN

The Castle in Clarens

Besides the actual castle structure, all the little details make this a unique stay in Clarens. From the gate entrance, which says trespassers will be taken to the dungeon, to floor plaques with stories of Rapunzel, there is nothing else like this.

The Castle Rooms

My favorite space in the castle was the sunset corner. Good for more than sunsets, we also had our morning coffee and dinners perched on a bench. It is here you can pretend you are the Queen of Clarens, though most of your subjects are cows.

There is a small but lovely garden surrounding the castle. Look out for the “Rapunzel” written in the grass along the side.

The braai space is wonderful in the Chamber of Angels room, across from the kitchen. As it is fully covered, a random thunderstorm won’t dampen your braai-ing spirits. We braaied two out of the three nights we were at the castle because the sunset views from the tower are unmatched in comparison to anything in town.

The kitchen has a fridge (no freezer) and stove. There are some specialty grocery stores in town like Coffee, Cheese, and Chocolate and The Purple Onion, as well as butcher shops for those who want a meat braai. However, there is no good selection of veggies at the local grocery store. Bring your groceries with you from Joburg.

Sleep like a Queen

There are two bedrooms at the castle. The first is on the ground floor and has an attached bathroom with a shower. The second bedroom is at the tippy top of the tower with a tub. This room has incredible views so be sure to pull back the curtains.

Light sleepers must beware in the tower room. There are some nocturnal animals (maybe, bats?) that make chirping noises and prance around all night. It didn’t bother me the first night (maybe because I took melatonin…). We moved to the ground floor room for our third night.

Did you make your booking, yet?

Whether you want to just relax in a castle or use it as a base to hike and explore Clarens, the fairytale comes alive at the Castle in Clarens.

Wake up early and do the Wodehouse Peak hike at Golden Gate National Park. Read the complete Golden Gate National Park hiking guide.

Don’t forget to sign the guest book, which has entries that go back to 2005! I totally forgot to sign it, but I paged through the book and saw so many lovely reviews from couples, families, and honeymooners.

Book online.