Soon after the Cape of Good Hope had been established, the newly-appointed Governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel, set out on a discovery journey east to explore the wild and untouched land beyond the Cape Peninsula. On 6 November 1679 he came across a river running through a beautifully green, fertile valley.   He named the river „Eerste Rivier“ (First River) and the surrounding area „Van der Stel Bosch“ (Van der Stel’s bush). Before long, news of the finding of this fertile valley spread and the first families settled there in 1680. The settlement later became known as Stellenbosch, and is the second-oldest city in South Africa.   The warm summers and winter rainfall provided an ideal farming environment, and by 1682 the settlement had become an established town. In 1685 it became the seat of a magistrate, whose authority extended over 25 000 square kilometres. The first school was built in 1686, followed soon afterwards by the first church.   A yearly celebration on Simon van der Stel’s birthday was held in honour of the founder. This tradition was started in 1686 and included games, parades, festivities and dances. As the celebration took place on October 14th, it was a celebration of spring at the same time. The highlight of the celebration was when marksmen shot at a wooden parrot to win the main prize, and to this day the hill where this event took place is still known as Papegaaiberg (parrot hill).   Simon van der Stel launched a project to plant oak trees and the mighty trees still line the streets of Stellenbosch. The town is appropriately known as „Eikestad“, or the Town of Oaks. Unfortunately a recent disease has affected the trees, and the towering oaks are slowly dying. Fortunately, since the oak trees are a symbol of Stellenbosch, the town council started planting new trees soon after the discovery of the disease.   In 1866, the Stellenbosch Gymnasium was founded. In 1880 it changed its name to Stellenbosch College, but was renamed in 1887 to Victoria College in honour of Queen Victoria. In 1918 the college officially became the University of Stellenbosch, known affectionately as „Maties“. The University has over the years become the heart of Stellenbosch and is regarded as one of the best in the world. During the year, the estimated 17 000 students fill the town with a cheerful vibe and bustling activity in the hostels, lecture halls, restaurants, coffee shops, bars and discos. Holidays are the times when the tranquillity of the natural surroundings and the comparative quiet in the streets allows Stellenbosch a chance to breathe and prepare for the influx of young people that is sure to follow with the next semester.