Playing Rapunzel outside Clarens in the Free State

At a fairytale castle outside Clarens in the Free State, you can let your inner romantic go free discovers Tamlin Wightman.

At The Castle in Clarens, Rapunzels’ hair hangs from a window. There’s no Rapunzel or witch these days, so guests have the tower and castle entirely to themselves. The fantasy begins as you enter the gate of a fairytale garden along pathways through thorn trees and scattered crystals. Surrounded by the Maloti Mountains, this three-tier castle is a feast for romantics.

According to the story, one day a prince passing by was so taken by the voice he heard singing from the tower that he imitated the witch and called up to Rapunzel to let down her hair. When she did so, he climbed up and met the woman of his dreams.

At The Castle, five kilometres outside the town of Clarens in the Free State, the Prince has his own room – a contemporary addition to the ‘original’ tower. On the ground floor, the memory of he and Rapunzel lives on in a life-size mural of the couple adorning an entire wall.

Rapunzel’s Room, on the top storey, is straight out of a novel by Philippa Gregory (author of The Other Boleyn Girl), with a four-poster bed, silk curtains and an exquisite en-suite bathroom. Draw yourself (and a partner) a bath in the tub, scatter the rose petals provided on the water and bathe with a view of a life you’ll be tempted to hold onto.

The fully equipped kitchen opens onto the Chamber of Angels, where an Angel of the Sky mural watches over you as you enjoy a braai or drink in the fresh Free State air – probably with occasional thunder and lightning in the background. But, true to the story, it may not last.

The prince visited his love every night, taking silk for her to weave a ladder so they might escape. The sorceress found out about the plan, cut Rapunzel’s hair and booted her out into the wilderness. Nonetheless, as fairy tales would have it, the prince found his love again and the two lived happily ever after back home in his kingdom.

At this castle, there’s no need for a silk ladder. But from the steel roses curling up the staircase to the fireplace cherubs with their golden finish, the rest is all in place. Whether you’re on honeymoon, celebrating an anniversary or looking to escape reality, Rapunzel’s castle will bestow royal luxury to live out your fantasies – without the fire-breathing dragons and witches. Escape at your peril.