Rosario
Argentina'S Third City, On The Parana River; Birthplace Of The National Flag, Lionel Messi And Che Guevara · Rosario, Santa Fe
Rosario is Argentina's third city, a river port on the Parana three hundred kilometres up from Buenos Aires, built on grain money in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and still full of the grand banks, theatres and mansions that wealth paid for. What makes it pleasant now is its riverfront: the city reclaimed miles of old port land along the Parana as parks, promenades and cultural centres in converted warehouses, and in summer boats run across to beaches on the wild delta islands opposite. The National Flag Memorial marks where the flag was first raised. Rosario is also a football city with two fierce clubs, Newell's Old Boys and Rosario Central, and it is the birthplace of Lionel Messi, whose murals appear across town, and of Che Guevara, whose birthplace is a private apartment building with a plaque. The city has a young, arts-minded population, good museums including the Castagnino and the MACRO in a painted grain silo, and a lively bar scene. It is not a major tourist destination, and it is easier to enjoy for that.
Plaza 25 de Mayo, Rosario, Santa Fe, Rosario, Santa Fe, S2000, Argentina
The city runs late, with dinner after nine and bars after midnight. Museums close on Mondays or Tuesdays. River beaches on the islands open in summer, with boats from the waterfront.