It’s a Saturday afternoon, a public holiday a few days before Christmas. Bath Street, the road running through Montagu’s town centre, is quiet, almost deserted. Festive lights flicker in the window of the Klein Winkeltjie, drawing attention to an odd assortment of wooden African masks, ethnic pillows, peg bags and wool. Further down the strip Niël Se Huiswinkel — with its “Give me hugs not drugs” sticker on the door and everything from glittery purple wind chimes to greeting cards and tractor toys inside — is equally quiet.

The church fete outside the NG Kerk is over; the stalls with boerewors, old books, konfyt, educational toys, and garden implements long since packed away. The two wineries — Uitvlucht and Montagu — are closed, their famed, heart-warming muscadel locked away until Monday

Some locals linger in the parking lot outside the supermarket, a couple of tourists sit at the plastic tables outside The Cottage Ice Cream and Coffee Shop, eating their cones.

A few kilometres out of town, past the Voortrekker War Memorial and the dried fruit padstal, the warm springs have attracted some families; parents soaking in the pools, children splashing in the hot water.

There’s no doubt: Montagu is a refuge

Surrounded by such tranquility — and a ring of mountains more breathtaking than even Stellenbosch has to offer — it’s impossible to imagine that Cape Town is just two hours away. And that, at this moment, its shopping malls are bursting at the seams with trollies, screaming babies, and mad-eyed shoppers infected with the annual festive fever.

There’s no doubt: Montagu is a refuge. Whether you take the famous tractor ride to the top of the Langeberg Moutains in the Koo Valley (followed by potjiekos in the pine forest below); follow the 15km circular Bloupunt Trail to the 1266m high summit; or pop in at some of Route 62’s other wine farms, it’s a place to take it slow, unwind, and relax.

Such tranquility is what initially brought a couple of former Johannesburg city slickers Bernhard and Fida Hess to the town on holiday — and inspired them to stay. Looking for a new challenge, the restaurateur and his hotel manager wife bought Mimosa Lodge and have spent the past two years putting their own personal stamp on the established guesthouse.

Step through the front door of the double-storied Edwardian house in Church Street and you'll find a blend of the traditional and the modern, the African and the Victorian. The floors are wooden, the passages typically narrow, the little library features vintage cameras and old Remington typewriters. On the walls outside the warm, inviting dining room, framed menus fight for space with a beaded gecko, while upstairs you'll find paintings and African masks. And the little lounge on the landing contrasts a chandelier and grandfather clock with a funky green and blue couch.

It may all sound a bit much, but the effect is comforting — as if you're stepping into somebody's home rather than a cold, soulless hotel that feels more hospital than hospitable.

The same goes for the nine "classic" rooms spread out around the building. Featuring all the mod-cons you'd expect, all are nevertheless individually decorated with either art deco, colonial or African touches. And while some of the upstairs rooms have access to a veranda ideal for sundowners, the downstairs accommodation opens onto a surprisingly expansive country garden.

Lush and grassy near the homestead (roses and palm trees are the order of the day), cross a little wooden bridge and the garden transforms into rockier terrain with indigenous plants from the Little Karoo, an apricot orchard, lavender fields and a sprawling vegetable patch that stocks the kitchen.

Old world vs the new

Apart from the over 200 plant types, it's also home to a heated black-marbled pool and seven modern garden suites — the so-called "new world" juxtaposing (of course) the "old world" of the main building.

Here it's all about minimalism. Floors, bed set and bathroom counters are polished concrete, bed-side tables are stone slabs. The effect is clean, but not too formal — a maroon wall behind the bed complements the cream colour that dominates the room, the thatch roof reminds you that this isn’t a trendy city pad, and small details like the shelves of colour-coordinated ostrich eggs inject the necessary warmth you want in a home away from home.

All suites come with hi-fi systems and full bathrooms (separate bath and shower), but if it's more luxury you're after, check out the Orchard Suite. Housed in a standalone building it's spread out over one and a half storeys — lounge downstairs, bed- and bathroom up a small flight of stairs — but, personally, the real clincher is a private champagne pool on the lawn out front. Not quite big enough for doing laps, but ideal to cool off in the hot afternoons before heading to dinner in the main building.

A four-course set menu affair prepared every night by Bernhard, it reveals the chef's Swiss training and ancestry. So you get the likes of potato ravioli, borscht, loin of veal and chocolate mousse — or, for something a little less European in flavour, lobster often appears as an alternative main course. Presented in hearty portions decorated with flowers from the garden, the food is efficiently served up by the waiters in the romantically-lit dining room.

There's an extensive wine list too — they have their own cellar — but dinner is also available in wine and dine format, with each dish accompanied by a glass of wine chosen to complement the flavours.

And because the meal is an optional extra to your stay — unlike the continental and English breakfast served every morning — Bernhard is happy to recommend other eateries in the little town. Four Oaks ("fine dining at a good price") is worth checking out — if only so that you can see a little more of the charming little town that is home to Mimosa Lodge.