Villa General Belgrano

Alpine Style Town Of German And Central European Settlers In The Calamuchita Valley, Host Of Argentina'S National Beer Festival · Villa General Belgrano, Cordoba

Villa General Belgrano is a small town in the Calamuchita valley of the Sierras de Cordoba, built by German, Swiss and Central European settlers from the 1930s, and it still looks and tastes like an Alpine village: timber-framed houses, beer halls, cake shops and chocolate makers. Part of its story is unusual. After the German battleship Graf Spee was scuttled off Montevideo in 1939, many of its interned sailors settled here, and a small museum tells the story. The town's biggest moment is the Oktoberfest, officially the Fiesta Nacional de la Cerveza, in October, when crowds come from across the country for beer, sausages and brass bands; smaller festivals celebrate strudel at Easter and chocolate in winter. Nearby is La Cumbrecita, a pedestrian-only Alpine village in the pine woods, with streams and walks. The Calamuchita valley around both has lakes and hills. It is kitsch, cheerful and busy in season, and a curiosity rather than a revelation, but very few places in South America feel like it.

Avenida San Martin, Villa General Belgrano, Cordoba, Villa General Belgrano, Cordoba, X5194, Argentina

The town is open year-round. The national beer festival runs in October; other festivals are held at Easter and in winter. Shops and breweries keep long hours in season.

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