La Clé des Montagnes
The Cape Winelands | FRANSCHHOEK SOUTH AFRICA
Spend your time immersed in unsurpassed beauty: rolling vineyards, mountain vistas, and historic Cape Dutch homesteads.
The Cape Winelands is an idyllic winemaking region where the sun shines and the wine flows.
At La Clé, situated on one the oldest streets in the historic village of Franschhoek with buildings dating back over 300 years, you are perfectly placed in the center of it all. Spread over two farms, La Clé offers a first-hand taste of what it’s like to live in a wine-producing valley.
Le Cle Lodge and Villas
The essence of La Clé des Montagnes lies not only within the exceptional attention to detail, exquisite finishes, and superb location but also in the breadth of experience.
With a team of chefs, the cuisine is dynamic and fresh, from local-style ‘braais’ to laden breakfast tables, personalised picnics, private dining and select Shared Table evenings.
Soak up the valley, visit the art galleries, shop at the market, sample the local wines and discover a sense of tranquillity, space, taste, and style with the lifestyle of Franschhoek.
Owned by international entrepreneur, Michael Pawlowski, the experience is modelled after his discerning needs when travelling with his wife and four children.
The Lodge and Villas are set amidst vineyards on the edge of Franschhoek, only a short walk from the heart of the village.
Franschhoek Accommodation
Welcome to Franschhoek, an exquisite mountain-ringed valley renowned for its magnificent wines.
You’ve arrived at the one place that allows you to experience the splendor of an active wine farm within the borders of a characterful French Huguenot village. Surrounded by vineyards and nature, with art, food, and wine on your doorstep, La Clé is the perfect base to explore one of the world’s most sought-after destinations.
Its name, meaning ‘the key to the mountains’, La Clé des Montagnes makes the most of the picturesque mountain-and-valley scenery of Franschhoek.
Set amidst vineyards and orchards, yet only a 5 minute walk into the heart of Franschhoek
La Clé Lodge
GrangeVilla
Monoir Villa
Galerie Villa
Domain Villa
La Clé Lodge
Nestled in the centre of Franschhoek, this beautiful thatch farmhouse has been lovingly restored to a tasteful country lodge with spacious living areas, beautiful en-suite bedrooms, and a kitchen at the heart of the experience.
The Lodge epitomizes gracious country living with views across vineyards and onto the mountains.
Run by a culinary team with warm and attentive service, here meals are cooked, drinks are poured and conversation abounds.
Guests have the option of joining a Shared Table dinner party around the central long table, an outside braai (South African BBQ) on a hot summer night or a table just for two.
La Clé Lodge appeals to a traveler who appreciates art, design, cuisine, country living, and being in a ‘home’ rather than a hotel.
La Clé Lodge has five exquisitely comfortable en-suite bedrooms to choose from.
You can book to stay at the lodge on a per-room basis or book the Lodge exclusively.
The Lodge enjoys the unique position of being on a wine farm but just 5 minutes walk from the Franschhoek main street with all of it’s wonderful restaurants. This is your home away from home in the heart of the village.
SEASONALITY: Open all year
CHILDREN: 12+ years
NOTE: La Clé Lodge is also popular on an exclusive use basis, kids all ages welcome on a villa basis.
La Clé Lodge
5 BEDROOMS
LA CLÉ VILLAGE
GRANGE VILLA
This beautiful historic village barn has been sensitively converted and now offers a large open living space with a double-sided fire in the centre, 3 gracious en-suite bedrooms and an open loft area (perfect for up to 4 kids when Grange is taken on an exclusive use Villa basis).
With loads of eating and sitting spaces both in- and outdoors, a large open-plan kitchen, a sun soaked swimming pool and lovely mountain views, Grange works well on both a per room or exclusive Villa basis.
Situated on a farm on the edge of the village, the 4 Villas (Grange, Manoir, Galerie and Domain) are perfect for a small group (wedding and birthday celebrations).
SEASONALITY: Open all year
CHILDREN: 12+ year on a per room basis. All ages welcome when booking the villa exclusively.
NOTE: Villa rate includes added extras of daily snack basket, house drinks and a dedicated host.
GRANGE
3 BEDROOMS
Manoir Villa
This historic farmhouse is one of the most beautiful buildings in the village of Franschhoek. Here you can get lost between the numerous rooms or take advantage of the verandah that wraps around three sides of Manoir.
Manoir has only 2 bedrooms and is perfect for a family or couple. The main suite, which is the grandest of all rooms at La Clé, has a dressing room and beautiful en-suite, while the second room, which is a much smaller, is suited to children and it has a separate lounge that can take a third bed.
There is a study, dining room, lounge, conservatory area and lovely kitchen, leading to outside areas which include a large swimming pool and rolling lawns.
SEASONALITY: Open all year
CHILDREN: All ages.
Manoir
2 BEDROOMS
Galerie Villa
Reminiscent of an eclectic artist’s residence, this stylish 2-bedroom Villa has an open-plan living area leading to the best verandah at La Clé. Overlooking your private garden, enjoy sitting and dining with expansive views of the vineyards and mountains.
With two equal rooms, Galerie is the perfect escape for two couples.
SEASONALITY: Open all year
CHILDREN: All ages.
Galerie
2 BEDROOMS
DOMAIN VILLA
Alongside the 2-bedroomed Galerie there is the beautifully restored Domain. This is now a very stylish 4-bedroomed Villa loved by extended families and groups of friends.
Domain’s light and airy interiors combine the purity of African colour with vibrant style. The 4 rooms are not all equal but share very generous living spaces. Besides the large indoor lounge, there is a breakfast verandah which faces the rising sun, a lunch verandah which is deeper and has an outside dining and sitting area and finally a sundowner verandah which faces the setting sun and has uninterrupted views over the pool to the mountains and vineyards.
SEASONALITY: Open all year.
CHILDREN: All ages.
DOMAIN
4 BEDROOMS
Retreat to a tranquil setting that combines home-style comforts with full-service attention to every little detail.
We do all we can to make you feel entirely at home during your stay. Across our two wine farms, located mere minutes from the heart of the village, we offer five distinctly-styled suites and four exclusive-use villas amidst orchards, lavender-flecked gardens, and working vineyards.
Getting there
FLY
The nearest airport is Cape Town International Airport
DRIVE
La Clé des Montagnes is a 60-minute drive from Cape Town International Airport and 25 minutes from Stellenbosch
Things to do
Art Franschhoek Route
Tours
As with fine food and outstanding wines, so too fine art needs to be savoured in order to be appreciated. Regarded as SA’s premier food and wine destination, Franschhoek has added art destination to its résumé.
Franschhoek is home to some of the country’s finest art offerings and a growing number of local and international art enthusiasts, a need arose to establish Art Franschhoek, which showcases all of these and much more. The route aims to promote fine art in the valley in the same way its other strengths have been defined, namely food and wine.
Contact Us
Franschhoek Biking & Hiking Trail Network
The spectacular mountains surrounding the Berg River dam in Franschhoek, is the mountain biking adventure land to which you gain a full day’s access when you purchase your permit. You will start at the entrance gate on Robertsvlei Road and discover miles of trails and single tracks charting breathtaking routes through the mountains, where you will have as much challenge as you want.
You can reach high lookout points for wonderful views overlooking the Franschhoek Valley, the Boland mountainscapes and the landscape towards the southern ocean. Table Mountain also features in the distance.
We kindly ask that all users of the trails stay on the trails, tread lightly and avoid littering.
Day Permit: R50 available at the Franschhoek Wine Valley office
Annual Permit: R300 available at the Franschhoek Wine Valley office
