Puerto Varas: this is how you live in an authentic German town in... Chile

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There were 212 settlers who came from Germany to colonize an inhospitable and strange village in Patagonia, Chile, which at that time, in 1853, had little to offer apart from beautiful views of

, one of the most photogenic (now) in the country and the larger if Carrera's is excepted, also belonging to Argentina.

At that time, however, it was nothing more than a very (very) cold wetland in winter where fertile fields were still conspicuous by their absence in the distant

now

in plane.

And at that time, a thousand hours down the road to hell...

But things did not look better on the Old Continent, so the Bittner, Gebauer, Netting, Von Bischofshausen, Gebauer, Nettig, Klenner Vyhmeister families did not think twice when their compatriot, the scientist living here

, sent them the invitation of the Chilean Government to populate the place with citizens from beyond the seas.

In exchange, they would receive land and supposed

to rebuild their lives, something that, the truth, was never fulfilled.

The bay of turquoise waters of Puerto Varas. SHUTTERSTOCK

Be that as it may, in the mid-nineteenth century, this town converted into one of the essentials of the Los Lagos region was more like

than

Already then it was divided into two neighborhoods, the Lutheran and the Catholic.

For this reason, the city still shows these two faces, translated into two districts marked architecturally by the style of their churches above all.

From

to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Osorno volcano

Not in vain, the latter, traced by tracing those of the German state of Baden-Württemberg,

is one of the icons of the city.

Its red roof can be seen almost from anywhere, standing out on the immaculate white summit of

one of the 3,200 that Chile has, as well as the most prominent in this Northern Patagonia.

It has another hallmark: it looks a lot like the Japanese Mount Fuji.

Osorno volcano from Puerto Varas.CHILE TRAVEL

Today, that old ecclesiastical demarcation continues to be one of the main attractions

of this charming city.

Much.

And not only tourist, but, after the pandemic, "a further 10,000 have joined its

in search of a less overwhelming day-to-day than in big cities," says Isabel Vargas, local guide for the company

and who already took that step 20 years ago from his native Santiago.

What they are looking for now is a place immersed in nature where you can hear the sound of

.

"People want to live in a quiet, pleasant and beautiful place like this," adds Vargas.

And so are Puerto Varas and its surroundings, dotted with

, mountains and rivers.

One of the typical Germanic houses of the city.I.

GARCIA

Of course, the aesthetics of the houses of the German colonization period remains the same, with their

of all imaginable colors turned upside down covering the beautiful facades.

There is even a specific itinerary to get to know the most emblematic, converted into

schools, art galleries, bookstores,

spaces or simple residences.

We are left with those of Schafer, Teuber, Korlmann or Weisser, located most of them between the

drawn in a grid.

The German imprint also emerges in the center, around

, dotted with restaurants where

or

sausages reign , a fire station in the image and likeness of any of Munich or Hamburg and several schools where German is the first language.

The German Club apple strudel.

There is no lack of a

founded in 1885 by 14 settlers with surnames such as

as stated on a plaque at the entrance.

"Their descendants continue to come on weekends as a tradition to eat Kassler chops [from Saxony], one of our specialties, and, of course, apple

for dessert," says waitress Magdalena Suárez behind the bar

with their huge beer mugs neatly placed next to countless German shields.

Link with art

Puerto Varas also stands out for its artistic side, so you can't miss a visit to

with almost 4,000 pieces related to the Central European colonization of the mid-19th century.

staircase

, decorated with ceramic mosaics with mostly indigenous motifs, is another of the city's cultural highlights.

Going up it, you reach the Kunstgarden

which organizes painting exhibitions as well as storytelling or Mapuche loom workshops, yoga, photography, taichi or watercolor.

Interior of the Tañi Mapu Mapuche handicrafts store.

Anyone who wants to discover more about the Mapuche culture and, incidentally, buy some of their handicrafts, can stop by

, in the Plaza de Armas.

There, in a cozy design space in which there is no lack of photographic exhibitions related to this identity, one can get hold of bracelets, sweaters,

bookmarks, dolls, ponchos or bags.

Everything, with the guarantee of having been carried out by the

of the area.

In addition, they organize craft courses and workshops on how to use the classic Mapuche looms.

Night view of the Chilean town. CHILE TRAVEL

Following the waterfront (or riverside promenade) of Puerto Varas between terraces and small beaches where you can take a dip, you access the road that borders Lake Llanquihue.

Before reaching the so-called

, you must make a stop at the original

, a famous painter in the area who can be seen calmly working in his installations, dedicated to collecting old objects of all kinds.

From boats to lamps, sculptures or clocks.

Returning to the main road, it takes just 20 minutes by car to reach

is perfect as a base of operations to explore the area.

Built with reinforced concrete and glass by its owners, architects, both its 16 suites and its

, its lounge with a fireplace, its library or its restaurant (many of the ingredients on the menu come from its own organic garden) look out over the lake and the omnipresent Osorno.

Awa hotel restaurant, on the shores of Lake Llanquihue.

They organize all kinds of activities in this Northern Patagonia, such as a visit to the nearby

a succession of impressive emerald-colored waterfalls that zigzag over a base of lava from the surrounding volcanoes, creating

.

They are located within the

, the oldest (founded in 1926) and visited in Chile.

A good place to put an end to this walk through the most German town in the country.

And from much of Latin America.

PRACTICAL GUIDE

HOW TO GET.

Iberia flies from Madrid to Santiago de Chile and from there to Puerto Montt, a few kilometers from Puerto Varas.

WHERE TO SLEEP.

Hotel AWA

(hotelawa.cl).

Design boutique hotel with an 'eco' seal on the shores of Lake Llanquihue and 20 minutes from Puerto Varas.

Suites, lounge with fireplace, spa, solarium and indoor pool with views of the Osorno volcano.

WHERE TO EAT.

Puerto Varas is full of restaurants of all kinds, highlighting the German ones such as the German Club itself or others such as

or

.

Also worth a

restaurant is an excellent choice to sample creative indigenous cuisine.

MORE INFORMATION.

On the

website (http://chile.travel) and www.rutadelosparques.org

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on

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