There isn't much reason to visit Vredenburg, the administrative and commercial centre of the West Coast, unless you need to go shopping. However, if you do need to shop, you will find virtually everything you need in this town. It even has a massive shopping centre called Weskus Mall. Think Sandton City... but in the platteland. 

The town's name means "town of peace". Vredenburg is built around a spring of fresh water on portions of the farms Heuningklip and Witteklip. Rumour has it that the original owners of the farms, W Baard and C Loubser disputed ownership about the fountain to such an extent that the fountain was first called Twisfontein (Quarrel Fountain), then Prosesfontein (Lawsuit Fountain). When a church and town was established on this site, the name Vredenburg was chosen.