Rosario

Rosario is Argentina's third largest city, renowned for its rich cultural life, since it is home to many famous artists and pop musicians. Although little visited by travellers, it has some fine buildings in its attractive centre, and a well-kept costaneraalongside the Paraná river. The nightlife is lively, with plenty of cafés, restaurants and nightclubs, and there are daily theatre and live music shows at venues all around the city. To recover from all that entertainment, visit the nearby islands in the river, just minutes away from the centre, where you can relax on sandy beaches. It is a fantastic place to spend the weekend.

Background

Unlike most Spanish American cities, Rosario was never officially founded. Though a fort was established in 1689 by Luis Romero de Pineda, it was just a place to export mules and tobacco throughout the 18th century. However, it grew rapidly in the late 19th century, with the opening of a railway line to Córdoba in 1870 and the increase of shipping along the Paraná: its port became a major exporter of grain and beef, while new industries were established, including breweries, grain mills and leather industries. In the late 20th century, Rosario attracted thousands of immigrants from the northern provinces of Argentina who settled on the outskirts, later forming one of the largest deprived communities in the country. The tourist office, www.rosarioturismo.com,has very efficient staff.

Sights

The old city centre is on the Plaza 25 de Mayo, just a block south of the Parque a la Bandera which lies along the riverside. Around it are the cathedral, in somewhat eclectic style and containing the Virgen del Rosario, and the Palacio Municipal. The Museo de Arte Decorativo, a sumptuous former family residence housing a valuable private collection of paintings, furniture, tapestries, sculptures, and silver, brought mainly from Europe. To the left of the cathedral, the Pasaje Juramentois the pedestrian access to the imposing Monumento a la BanderaIT/F0341-480 2238, Mon 1400-1800, Tue-Sun 0900-1800 (in summer till 1900), US$1 (tower), free (Salón de las Banderas). An impressively large monument built on the site where General Belgrano raised the Argentine flag for the first time in 1812. The tower has a vantage point 70 m high with excellent panoramic views over the city and the river.

Plaza San Martín with the Paseo del Siglo, offers the largest concentration of late 19th- and early 20th-century buildings in the city. The palm-lined Boulevard Oroñoleads north to the riverside parks, the Rosario Parque Independenciaat is a beautiful 126-ha park, designed by the famous landscape architect Charles Thays. It has a large lake, gardens with fountains and fine statues, shady avenues, the Newell's Old Boys football club stadium and three museums.

Just outside the park, the Museo de Bellas Artes is considered one of the best fine arts museums in the country, with a large collection of European paintings, particularly French Impressionist, Italian Baroque and Flemish works, and one of the best collections of paintings and sculpture works by renowned Argentine artists.

The Museo Histórico Provincial has a very well displayed collection of Latin American aboriginal artefacts and valuable pieces of religious art including Cuzco school paintings and a magnificent altar covered with silver plaques, which was used by Pope John Paul II in 1987.

The open-air theatre, Parque Urquiza and the Complejo Astronómico Municipal with an observatory, a planetarium and a small science museum are both worth visits.

The Museo del Paraná y las Islas gives an insight into islander culture through local art and artefacts. At the foot of the monument, is the Parque a la Bandera, one of the most appealing parks. Further up the river is the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (MACRO), www.macro museo.org.ar, Located inside a massive old silo, this remarkable museum is 10 levels high with one small gallery on each level, and at the top is a viewing deck.

On Sunday afternoons (from 1500 onwards) there is a great craft market and many antique and vintage clothing stalls along the river starting at Boulevard Ortoño. Great fun and less crowded than Buenos Aires' markets.

The most popular destination for locals as well as visitors are the dozens of riverside resorts on the islands and sandy banks opposite Rosario. These have restaurants and bars, and most have comfortable facilities for an enjoyable day's stay, with woods, beaches and lagoons. There are campsites and cabañasfor rent in some of them. Boats depart daily in summer from La Fluvialor from Costa Altato the island resorts, each with its own transfer service.