Early in the last century a young man from Worcester, near Cape Town, Petrus Johannes Meiring (a grandson of Pastor Arnoldus Meiring who arrived from Lingen in Germany in 1743) rode into the Klein Karoo's Elephants River Valley. He never stopped exploring and eventually discovered the route through the Swartberg Mountain Range, which in later years became the famous Meiringspoort. Long before the village was established, De Rust had already been a place to outspan and rest before challenging the route through the poort. In 1900 De Rust was established on a portion of Meiring's farm.
The area is malaria-free, safe with a very low crime rate and locals pride themselves on a fantastic climate - beautiful sunny winter days with cool nights. Summers are perfect, hot and sunny. The town itself is peaceful and tree lined with excellent examples of late 19th century architecture. Drinking water from a mountain spring puts expensive bottled water to shame.. Accommodation is available at guesthouses in the village and on farms ranging from budget to luxury. Enjoy the peaceful farm atmosphere, take a long trip in the veld or wander around in the mountain hills, go bird watching, enjoy lots of fresh air, host blue moonlight nights and fabulous starry skies.