Villa General Belgrano
Imagine a German theme park, Disneyland-style, with bierkellers and chocolate shops, carved wooden signposts everywhere and cute Alpine architecture, and you get an idea of what the centre of Villa General Belgrano is like. It's a pretty mountain town, with wooded avenues and wonderful views of the sierras beyond. It's a lovely place to spend a few days.
The town was founded in 1932 when two German immigrants bought land and sold it off through advertisements in the German newspapers, with the intention of starting a German colony. Its German character was boosted by the arrival of 155 sailors from the Graf Spee in 1939 , many of whom later settled here. Plagues of locusts and heavy rainfall meant that the colony grew slowly at first, and so children from German schools in Buenos Aires were encouraged to come here for holidays, bringing the very first influx of tourists to the town. German is still spoken by older inhabitants, and the architecture along the main street, Avenida Julio Roca, is dominated by Swiss chalet-style buildings and German beer-houses. You can find genuine German smoked sausages and a wide variety of German breads, delicious Viennese cakes and locally brewed beer. You can even celebrate Oktoberfest www.elsitiodelavilla.com/oktoberfest, when the town is packed with 12,000 tourists. This is not the best time of year to appreciate the town, but the Viennese Pastry Festival in Easter week and the Alpine Chocolate Festival during the July holidays, are certainly worth a visit.
The town makes a great centre for hikes in the nearby hills, with plenty of places to stay and good restaurants. The souvenir shops along the main street are crammed with Tirolean hats, beer mugs and Graf Spee memorabilia, however there are also fine chocolates for sale and a handicrafts market near the small oval plaza on Sundays and during the holidays. Note that the street of Julio Roca changes its name to San Martín at the oval plaza, halfway along. For help with planning your visit, see www.elsitiodelavilla.com (in Spanish and German).
Walks around Villa General Belgrano
There are plenty of walks in and around the town itself. Two rivers run through the town, La Toma and El Sauce, and a lovely shaded area for walking has been created along their banks. You could also hike up the Cerro de la Virgen (one hour), the hill to the east of town. It's a steep walk, but there are rewarding views. Alternatively, a lower and easier hike is up to Cerro Mirador, northeast of town - from the top there are great views of the valley and the town.
The town was founded in 1932 when two German immigrants bought land and sold it off through advertisements in the German newspapers, with the intention of starting a German colony. Its German character was boosted by the arrival of 155 sailors from the Graf Spee in 1939 , many of whom later settled here. Plagues of locusts and heavy rainfall meant that the colony grew slowly at first, and so children from German schools in Buenos Aires were encouraged to come here for holidays, bringing the very first influx of tourists to the town. German is still spoken by older inhabitants, and the architecture along the main street, Avenida Julio Roca, is dominated by Swiss chalet-style buildings and German beer-houses. You can find genuine German smoked sausages and a wide variety of German breads, delicious Viennese cakes and locally brewed beer. You can even celebrate Oktoberfest www.elsitiodelavilla.com/oktoberfest, when the town is packed with 12,000 tourists. This is not the best time of year to appreciate the town, but the Viennese Pastry Festival in Easter week and the Alpine Chocolate Festival during the July holidays, are certainly worth a visit.
The town makes a great centre for hikes in the nearby hills, with plenty of places to stay and good restaurants. The souvenir shops along the main street are crammed with Tirolean hats, beer mugs and Graf Spee memorabilia, however there are also fine chocolates for sale and a handicrafts market near the small oval plaza on Sundays and during the holidays. Note that the street of Julio Roca changes its name to San Martín at the oval plaza, halfway along. For help with planning your visit, see www.elsitiodelavilla.com (in Spanish and German).
Walks around Villa General Belgrano
There are plenty of walks in and around the town itself. Two rivers run through the town, La Toma and El Sauce, and a lovely shaded area for walking has been created along their banks. You could also hike up the Cerro de la Virgen (one hour), the hill to the east of town. It's a steep walk, but there are rewarding views. Alternatively, a lower and easier hike is up to Cerro Mirador, northeast of town - from the top there are great views of the valley and the town.
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This is edited copy from Footprint Handbooks. For comprehensive details (incl address, tel no, directions, opening times and prices) please refer to book or individual chapter PDF
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