La Falda

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La Falda
La Falda Libertad y San José.jpg
Basic data
location 31 ° 6 ′  S , 64 ° 28 ′  W Coordinates: 31 ° 6 ′  S , 64 ° 28 ′  W
Height above d. M .: 952  m
Population (2001): 15,112
  (Argentina)
 
 
administration
Province : CordobaCordoba Cordoba
Department : Punilla
Mayor: Marcos Sestopal
Others
Postal code : X5172
Telephone code: 03548
La Falda website

La Falda is a small Argentine town in the province of Cordoba in the Valle de Punilla department . It is located in a small reservoir of the Río Grande de Punilla at the foot of the mountains "El Cuadrado" and "La Banderita". The 15,112 inhabitants (31,380 with the suburbs Villa Giardino , Valle Hermoso and Huerta Grande, according to INDEC 2001) live to a large extent from summer tourism.

facts and figures

  • Date of establishment: December 28, 1897
  • City patron: Inmaculada Concepción de María ( Assumption of the Virgin Mary , celebrated on December 8th)

tourism

After Villa Carlos Paz and Cosquín, La Falda is the third most important holiday resort in the Sierras de Córdoba . The city is a good starting point for nature-oriented excursions such as trekking, paragliding or horse riding in the surrounding mountains. The climate is temperate and dry and relatively cool because of the altitude. In the holiday months (December, January, February), many people from the humid and humid metropolis of Buenos Aires, who make up the majority of the visitors to the place, appreciate this.

There are many sports, conference and recreational opportunities as well as summer festivities (from artists' flea markets to rock and tango concerts to discos). Allegedly, a casino will soon be built in the former Edén Hotel .

In May, La Falda is one of the focal points of the World Rally Championship every year . The Argentina rally - which at 2,115 meters above sea level is the world's highest world championship race apart from the safari - has over 750,000 spectators and is one of the largest sporting events in the country. There are 61 rivers to cross. The rally includes the La Falda - Río Ceballos route . La Falda is also the longest stage of the rally.

history

The town used to be a climatic health resort for the wealthy. Villas and mansions in the "Villa Edén" quarter from the 1930s and 1940s still point to the past splendor, even if some are empty or have owners who can no longer invest extensively in maintaining it. Many former luxury hotels were nationalized during the reign of Juan Domingo Perón and rededicated as recreation areas for trade unionists.

The Edén Hotel is central to the history of La Falda . Its existence at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century meant that the small town developed into a summer vacation spot for the Argentine high society. At that time, the whole family including chauffeurs and nannies were lodged for weeks in the then world-famous luxury hotel, which was built between 1895 and 1898 by the German immigrant and ex-officer Robert Balcke in the middle of farmland in cooperation with investors. Even Albert Einstein and the then Prince of Wales were there as a guest.

Attractions

In addition to the Edén Hotel, there are several excursion destinations in and around the city:

  • The Dique La Falda is a small reservoir on the Río Grande de Punilla (built in 1979) with a volume of 800,000 cubic meters. It is used as a recreational water area and bathing area.
  • The Reloj Cucú is a concrete cuckoo clock that is an attraction for many vacationers (corner of San Martín / Patria). It was built in 1963.
  • The Museo del Ferrocarril en miniatura is a model railway museum that is considered unique in Argentina. It contains pieces from a private collection made public in 1983 with toy trains from all over the world (Villa Esther, La Murallas 200).
  • The Balneario Las Siete Cascadas is a romantic bathing area at seven waterfalls near the El Cuadrado mountain in the midst of particularly attractive and unspoiled nature. There are various holiday homes, apartments and small pensions in the area.
  • Train ride with the Tren de las Sierras through the Punilla Valley, operated by the Ferrocentral company since August 2007.

Web links

Commons : La Falda  - collection of images, videos and audio files