LUXURY COUNTRY HOUSE
Holden Manz 5 Star Country House
Wake up to our scrumptious breakfast served in the manor house of by our friendly staff to kick start your day. Our restaurant, Franschhoek Kitchen is a short walk across the vines and is perfect setting for a relaxing lunch or dinner to remember.
Choose your activities in this picturesque environment. We offer a relaxing spa experience on site, picnic under ancient trees next to the river that flows through our estate or lounge at the pool whilst sipping on some of our refreshing rosé.
With the elegance of the house’s Cape Dutch architecture and a prevailing sense of tranquility and quiet splendor you have one of the most inviting Franschhoek country houses.
Franschhoek and Stony Brook rivers
A feng shui consultant angled the building in a north-westerly direction to ensure an uninhibited flow of chi and, according to him, the Holden Manz country house is one of the most ideal places one could ever live. The farm is nestled between the Franschhoek and Stony Brook rivers, the latter of which runs dry for six months of the year. At the convergence of these two rivers lies ‘the dragon’, a large rock which according to feng shui principles bounces good chi back upon the estate. On the other side of the estate, the Franschhoek mountains keep watch. Look closely and you’ll see the outlines of a majestic elephant head, with its watchful eye in the mountainside.
Accommodation on a five-star wine estate
Any proud owner of a Franschhoek wine estate would undoubtedly want the finest of gardens to complement their version of a private Eden. The Holden Manz wine estate is no exception and an abundance of trees line the estate, generating a six-star feel to a thriving five-star wine estate. The grounds are kept as natural as possible, avoiding over-landscaping and merely bringing out what was already there, retaining the estate’s tranquil ambience.
Instead of adding entirely new features, the land was extensively cleaned and that which was hidden in the overgrown bushes was revealed. 300-year old yellowwoods and oaks were given room to breathe and grow once more. After many months of effort, the rivers were unblocked and the clean spring water began to flow once more, giving both guests and visitors access to a riverside walkway. This is the perfect place for a leisurely afternoon stroll, accompanied by a glass of Holden Manz’s finest wine in your hand.
Natural, green and holistic
Although not a rigorously organic estate, the Holden Manz team takes great care in growing their produce with a focus on natural processes. In keeping with their green and holistic approach, they recycle waste, save electricity where they can and use water sparingly on indigenous foliage in order to achieve their goal of being as close to carbon-neutral as possible. When summer rolls around many of the vegetables and fruit served at Franschhoek Kitchen come from their abundant gardens. Herbs (such as basil, chives and coriander), seasoning, jams, juices, chickens, eggs, blue-gum honey and even the mustard are produced on the estate.
One of the more delicious experiences, guaranteed to make anyone weak at the knees, is the smell of freshly baked bread that infuses the main building of our guest house. The blue-gum honey is harvested from multiple fixed-frame beehives that the estate shares with their neighbours. As you drive along the winding country roads on your way into the estate, you can catch a glimpse of the beehives, abuzz with activity, nestled among the fruit trees.
The Holden Manz wine estate truly presents a unique version of paradise. One only needs to take a long stroll around the well-loved garden surrounding the wine estate and boutique Franschhoek country house to see all the work that has gone into its creation.
