The Accidental Tourist, Stellenbosch, Guía del visitante y qué hacer cerca

The Accidental Tourist is an outdoor public artwork at 21 Church Street in central Stellenbosch, South Africa. It is part of the town's open-air art scene, which the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust (SOST) has been building since 2012 so that art can be met on the street and not only in galleries.

The story behind it

Since 2012 SOST has worked to bring public art to the streets of Stellenbosch, on the belief that art should be open to the whole community. Its works are spread around the area, from historic settings in the town centre to more rural spots beside the rivers. Visitors can follow a map between them and pick up some of the town's history and culture on the way. According to the artist of The Accidental Tourist, outdoor art asks the viewer to walk through it and interact with it, in the space it was made for.

The artwork sits in a town with a lively cultural life, from the annual Woordfees festival and concerts at Endler Hall to performances at the HB Thom Theatre and many galleries. Nearby Plein Street was known in the 1800s for its Victorian two-storey houses. As it became the commercial centre of town, many of those buildings were altered over time.

What to look for

• Notice how the artwork sits in its street setting, because the artist designed it to be experienced in that exact space.
• Walk around it and through the space beside it, as the artist intends, instead of just taking a photo from one angle.
• Look at the surrounding buildings on Church Street and nearby Plein Street, where older architecture sits beside modern shopfronts.
• Watch for other SOST public artworks as you move around the centre, since the trust places them across town.

Tips for your visit

• Allow ten to fifteen minutes here, longer if you want to explore the surrounding streets and cafes.
• It is an outdoor piece in a public street, so you view it from outside. Public artworks can be moved or replaced, so ask locally if you cannot find it.
• Daylight is best for photos and for strolling the centre comfortably.
• Combine it with the town's galleries, theatres and historic streets, all within walking distance in the compact centre.

See it on a quest

Failed art heist in the City of Oaks, Stellenbosch. is a good way to see this artwork, since art is right in its theme. You reach the place on foot as one stop of a longer route through the centre, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. You can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join. One ticket covers the whole group.