NORTHERN CAPE ACCOMMODATION PELLA
PELLA

Pella was founded by the London Missionary Society in 1814. It provided a sanctuary for Khoisan driven out of Namibia. The village of Pella was named after the one that gave refuge to Christians in Macedonia in biblical times. After Pella was abandoned in 1872 because of drought, the Roman Catholic Church reopened the mission in 1878.

The Old Cathedral, surrounded by date palms, has a curiously Arabian atmosphere. Using an encyclopaedia as their building manual, it took two missionaries seven years to complete.

Set on a sandy plain backed by high, sun-baked hills denuded of vegetation but vividly coloured by minerals in the soil, a spring reaches the surface, giving life to the figs, grapes and pomegranates grown at Pella. Around this source of life is a walled garden. Pella’s dates are sold in wooden boxes to mail-order customers all over South Africa.

The Namakwa 4X4 route starts at Pella and stretches 642km along the Orange River to Alexander Bay, exploring one of the most isolated corners of South Africa. The beauty of the route lies in the contrast between rugged mountains, green riverbeds and sandy plains, the peaceful silence and the rich variety of succulent plants.

Today Pella forms part of the Namakwa Region and about 130km east of Springbok on the N7 you will find the turn-off to this fascinating mission station.

ACTIVITIES AND ATTRACTIONS:

4x4 Trail
Namakwa 4x4 Exploration. Tel 027 712 8035/6.

Catholic Cathedral
Built over seven years by Fathers JM Simon and Leo Wolf, both of whom are buried in the church’s grounds.

Pella Mission Station
The early missionaries who travelled to the interior became adventurers in their own right. Not only did one require a considerable amount of courage and faith, but an immense will to survive in a land where little was known of the area or the indigenous people. Today, there are still a number of mission stations operating in Namakwa. Settlements such as Pella, with its cathedral surrounded by date palms,  with its own unique history of endurance, love and perseverance, still thrives.

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ACCOMMODATION IN PELLA
Accommodation Northern Cape
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