Overview

Nieu Bethesda is a remote village in the Eastern Cape Karoo, tucked into a fold of the Sneeuberg mountains at the end of a gravel road that leaves the outside world firmly behind it. It is best known for the Owl House, the extraordinary outsider-art environment created by Helen Martins, which draws visitors from around the world to an otherwise deeply quiet place. The village has developed a small but distinct artistic and bohemian identity set against the stark Karoo landscape.

Map Design and Paper

The map is an original creation by our design studio at Africa Map Art. Data for this map has been compiled from various up-to-date sources including from the OpenStreetMap contributors. The map is available in four styles and on the following two paper options and canvas: a high quality 210gsm heavyweight coated paper with a matte finish, which achieves excellent colour and resolution and is perfect for framing;  a 260gsm photo paper with a smooth satin finish;  and a 350gsm strengthened canvas. All of the options are shipped in a cardboard roll for protection. The canvas is unstretched and unframed.

We welcome personalisation and customisation requests, such as highlighting of specific buildings or features, adjusting the colour scheme, or the addition of text and images.  Please contact us for a quote.

History

Nieu Bethesda was founded in 1875 as a Dutch Reformed church village, established primarily to give the farming families of the surrounding Sneeuberg district a closer place of worship than distant Graaff-Reinet. Its layout is compact and organic, shaped by the course of the Gats River and the steep terrain of the surrounding hills rather than any formal grid plan. It has remained small and largely unchanged since its founding, which is much of the reason it retains such a strong sense of place.