Bavaria in Argentina

Description

This photo was taken by Elio Rivero.

When in the 1930s the German family Cabjols from Bavaria reached this area of Córdoba, Argentina, far from busy cities, they were looking for a place where they could feel at home in nature, far from the turmoil in Europe. In 1934, they started planting trees to transform the arid landscape into something that resembled their forests.

La Cumbrecita looks nowadays like a Bavarian village with its wooden houses, steep roofs, and timber-framed buildings. The Cabjols and other Germans brought their traditions, which along with other European inmigrants and argentinians became a fusion of European and Argentine cultures. At the core: their love for nature and freedom.

I was visiting La Cumbrecita during a weekend to chill from a week loaded with work. Entering La Cumbrecita is a bit magical: you have to cross a bridge. Something like Platform 9¾ in Harry Potter, the wardrobe in Narnia, or the train station in Spirited Away. Entering here is another world, the journey takes you far beyond the familiar daily life.

Cars aren’t allowed, making it refreshing to walk freely through the pine-lined paths. The whole village and surroundings are a great place to hike and enjoy nature. It has fantastic waterfalls, water streams and natural pools to bathe. It really feels like being in the Bavarian hills.

As I was crossing the bridge in order to leave this otherworldly place, I took one last look at the river, the twilight, and all the blend of cultures that happened here. It’s in a way something like WordPress, reaching many different cultures uniting them in one core aspect: Freedom.

And I made this photo. Captured in a second, but that had a whole story of travels, cultures, and hard work behind it.