Who would have thought that a little less than two hours from Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and hidden in the mountains is a small town of German origin, called La Colonia Tovar and known as
the Germany of the Caribbean.
I found out on my last visit that this town had its origin back in 1843, when the Venezuelan government, trying to create suitable spaces for agriculture and mining, initiated a plan to attract European citizens, especially from Germany.
The original settlers came from the town of Kaiserstuhl, a total of 239 men and 150 women. And it turns out that during World War I and World War II this town was a recipient of emigrants fleeing the war in Europe.
At the beginning this town tried to keep the original German laws, however, at some point the Venezuelan government reached an agreement about their laws and customs. The Venezuelan constitution and its laws remained as the Magna Carta.
Now, the architectural design and construction materials such as wood were used by the first inhabitants, giving it the beauty it has today.
This design attracted over the years a large number of tourists, making this city a place of encounter, visit and recognition of German traditions.
It is a pleasure to visit the town, to see the streets, the houses with their traditional decorations, the inhabitants dressed in typical costumes. Although at the beginning the town enjoyed an enviable climate, over the years and due to climate change, it has ceased to be the town of perennial fog and cold that forced to wear a coat, glove and cap, to give way to a jean and a flannel to avoid the sweltering heat.
The food, on the other hand, is a treat. Sausages and potato salad abound. In addition to the traditional strawberries and cream. In addition to the many souvenir stores that are found throughout the town. And by the way, next to the church, there is a beautiful sale of vegetables. A real beauty, because they are very fresh and colorful products.
Something that caught my attention was the cemetery. Next to the center of town. With very old graves. Although I tried to enter this sacred space, the people I was with did not, so I had to go back.
Today the houses are made of friezed block and concrete and in its facade the silhouette of the wooden beams have been painted in brown. The roofs are gabled with tiles. It is a delight to appreciate these spaces.
Note that the village has grown into the mountains and you can see the broccoli, strawberry and flower plantations in the distance. Despite the passage of time, its inhabitants have tried to maintain their innate traditions, making it a must-see place.
If you live in Venezuela, I hope you can visit it soon and if you plan to come to our country, write it down in your must visit site.
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My own photos taken with my Tecno Spark cell phone //
I used the free version of Deepl.com as a translator.