SOUTH AFRICA

Paarl is a beautiful city of more than 110,000 inhabitants, located in the Cape Winelands, 654 masl, on the west bank of the Berg River, about 60 kilometers northeast of Cape Town. The city, located in the most famous wine region of the country, is one of the oldest in South Africa (the third after Cape Town and Stellenbosch), it was founded at the end of the seventeenth century by the Dutch, who began planting vegetable gardens and vineyards in its fertile valley soil. The name of the city, which means "Pearl" in Dutch, seems to derive from the three features rock formations that dominate it, which were viewed by the first Dutch explorer, Abraham Gabemma, in 1657, glistening as pearls in the light of the sun after a rainstorm. Paarl, is rich in historical buildings, and is famous for its ancient history, the beauty of the scenery and the excellent wine that it area produces. Many of the historic buildings are located along the main street of Paarl, Hoofstraat in its 2 km in length it is possible to admire Cape Dutch, Victorian, Art Deco and Eduardian-style buildings: we find the Strooidakkerk built in 1805, the oldest churches still in use in South Africa; the Gestichtkerk, another ancient church; in Zeederberg Square are picturesque buildings in Cape Dutch, Victorian and Georgian style; in a Georgian-style house is the Afrikaans Language Museum, a museum dedicated to the history of the Afrikaans language; the Oude Pastorie (the old rectory) built in 1787, now houses the historical museum of the city (Paarl Museum); the Toringkerk with a bell tower 57 meters high. On the slopes of Paarl Mountain is the monument to the Afrikaans language (Afrikaanse Taalmonument) erected in 1975. The city's economy is based on agriculture and viticulture; a wide variety of grapes is grown in Paarl district between these Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon blanc are the most valuable.

Climate: the climate of Paarl and the Winelands area is characterized by a pleasant Mediterranean climate with clearly defined seasons, winter runs from May to September and it's the rainy season it presents maximum temperatures between 22°C and 18°C, while the minimum vary between 9°C and 6°C. Summer is from November to March, is hot, dry and windy at times with maximum temperatures ranging between 31°C and 27°C and minimum between 12°C and 16°C. The average annual rainfall is around 650 mm.

Paarl	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average Maximum (°C)	30	31	29	25	22	19	18	18	20	24	27	29	23
Average Minimum (°C)	15	16	14	12	9	6	6	7	8	10	12	14	11
Average Precipitations (mm)													650
Rainy days (>= 1 mm)

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Die Pastorie, Strooidakkerk, Paarl, South Africa

Strooidakkerk cimitery, Paarl, South Africa

Afrikaanse Taalmonument, Paarl, South Africa

Drakenstein mountains, Paarl, South Africa

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