Colonia Tovar, German heritage municipality in Aragua, Venezuela
This municipality in Aragua state, Venezuela, has streets lined with wooden houses that show steep roofs and painted shutters. The buildings stand close together and follow an architecture that recalls the Black Forest region in Germany.
In 1843, settlers from the Grand Duchy of Baden arrived here and built their houses following the styles of their homeland. The settlement remained isolated for a long time and thus preserved its own way of life and language.
Residents still speak an old dialect that evolved from Alemannic German and passes from one generation to the next. In cafés and bakeries you can try cakes and pastries made from old family recipes.
The town lies about 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of Caracas and is reached by a mountain road with many curves. Restaurants and markets concentrate in the center, where you can walk through the lanes on foot.
The mountain climate allows farmers to grow strawberries, peaches, and cabbage, which rarely thrive elsewhere in Venezuela. Farmers sell their harvest at weekly markets, where you can try fresh fruits and vegetables directly.
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