La Cumbrecita is a typical German mountain town with wooden-framed chalets, hand-painted decorations and flower boxes overflowing with red blooms -- but it is a long way from Bavaria.
La Cumbrecita is a typical German mountain town with wooden-framed chalets, hand-painted decorations and flower boxes overflowing with red blooms -- but it is a long way from Bavaria.
Courtesy of La Cumbrecita Tourism Board
The town was built from scratch on barren hillside in Argentina's Sierras Grandes mountains southwest of Cordoba.
The town was built from scratch on barren hillside in Argentina's Sierras Grandes mountains southwest of Cordoba.
Courtesy of La Cumbrecita Tourism Board
The village sprung up in traditional alpine style, with restaurants serving hearty goulash, sausages and schnitzel along with steins of German beer.
The village sprung up in traditional alpine style, with restaurants serving hearty goulash, sausages and schnitzel along with steins of German beer.
Philippe Widling/Design Pics/Perspectives/Getty Images
The town was founded by Helmut Cabjolsky, a Berliner who was working as a civil engineer for Siemens when he was transferred to Buenos Aires in 1932. He and his family yearned for the mountains of home.
The town was founded by Helmut Cabjolsky, a Berliner who was working as a civil engineer for Siemens when he was transferred to Buenos Aires in 1932. He and his family yearned for the mountains of home.
Roberto Michel/Alamy
They visited a friend's remote farm near Cordoba and fell in love with the area. Helmut bought 500 acres of barren land in 1934 and arranged for family members to come from Germany to help him build the town.
They visited a friend's remote farm near Cordoba and fell in love with the area. Helmut bought 500 acres of barren land in 1934 and arranged for family members to come from Germany to help him build the town.
Karol Kozlowski/Alamy
Helmut planted thousands of trees and sold plots of land to family and friends on condition they design their homes in the style of a Swiss, German or Austrian village.
Helmut planted thousands of trees and sold plots of land to family and friends on condition they design their homes in the style of a Swiss, German or Austrian village.
DIEGO LIMA/La Nacion/Newscom
"The little chapel, the style of the fountain, of the bridge at the entrance to the town. All of it could be in Central Europe. We even have a maypole," said Mayor Daniel Lopez, whose grandparents were living in the area when Cabjolsky was searching for a place to build a summer home.
"The little chapel, the style of the fountain, of the bridge at the entrance to the town. All of it could be in Central Europe. We even have a maypole," said Mayor Daniel Lopez, whose grandparents were living in the area when Cabjolsky was searching for a place to build a summer home.
Courtesy of La Cumbrecita Tourism Board
It's still a small town, but there's a log-cabin spa, about two dozen restaurants serving a mix of German fare and Argentine cuisine, and guided hikes to the idyllic cascades along the crystalline Almbach River.
It's still a small town, but there's a log-cabin spa, about two dozen restaurants serving a mix of German fare and Argentine cuisine, and guided hikes to the idyllic cascades along the crystalline Almbach River.
Olaf Speier/Alamy
Beyond the forest lies a vast wilderness for adventurous tourists to explore on foot or by horseback.
Beyond the forest lies a vast wilderness for adventurous tourists to explore on foot or by horseback.
Courtesy of La Cumbrecita Tourism Board
There are ziplines and treetop walks through the forest canopy for extra adventures.
There are ziplines and treetop walks through the forest canopy for extra adventures.
Courtesy of La Cumbrecita Tourism Board
La Cumbrecita is Argentina's lone pedestrian-only town, one of several measures village leaders have implemented over the years to protect the environment.
La Cumbrecita is Argentina's lone pedestrian-only town, one of several measures village leaders have implemented over the years to protect the environment.
Pamina Goldenberg Thiery/Alamy
The town is nearly self-sustaining, and relies almost completely on renewable energy, recycles all its water and composts nearly all of its organic waste.
The town is nearly self-sustaining, and relies almost completely on renewable energy, recycles all its water and composts nearly all of its organic waste.
Karol Kozlowski/Alamy Stock