San Carlos de Bariloche

San Carlos de Bariloche Bariloche
View of Bariloche from Nahuel Huapi Lake
Coat of arms
San Carlos de Bariloche
Coordinates: 41°09′S 71°18′W / 41.15°S 71.3°W / -41.15; -71.3
Established	1902
Government
- Intendente	Marcelo Cascón
Elevation	893 m (2,930 ft)
Population
- Total	130,000
Website	http://www.bariloche.gov.ar/ Patagonia Regions Eastern Patagonia Western Patagonia Tierra del Fuego Ecoregions Valdivian forests Magellanic forests Patagonian steppe National Parks Nahuel Huapi Torres del Paine Cape Horn Political divisions Palena Province Aisén Region Magallanes Region Neuquén Province Río Negro Province Chubut Province Santa Cruz Province Tierra del Fuego Province

San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche, is a city in the province of Río Negro, Argentina, situated in the foothills of the Andes, surrounded by lakes (Nahuel Huapi, Gutiérrez Lake, Moreno Lake and Mascardi Lake) and mountains (Tronador, Cerro Catedral, Cerro López). It is famous for skiing but also known for sight-seeing, water sports, trekking and climbing. Cerro Catedral is one of the most important ski centers in South America.

History

The name Bariloche comes from the Mapudungun word Vuriloche meaning "people from behind the mountain" (furi = behind, che = people). The Vuriloche pass was used by the Poyas to cross the Andes and was kept secret from the European priests for a long time.

Spanish mission

The first Spaniard to visit the zone of Nahuel Huapi Lake was the Jesuit priest Diego de Rosales. Diego de Rosales was ordered to the area by the Governor of Chile Francisco Antonio de Acuña Cabrera y Bayona who was concerned about the unrest of the native Puelches and Poyas after the slave hunting expeditions carried out by Luis Ponce de León in 1649. Diego de Rosales, who beginning at the ruins of Villarica in Chile, crossed the Andes probably through Mamuil Malal Pass, and then traveled further south along the eastern Andean valleys until reaching Nahuel Huapi Lake in 1650.

In 1672 the Jesuits established in Chiloé Island founded a mission in the Nahuel Huapi Lake that lasted until 1717

Puerto Pañuelo, at the nearby town of Llao Llao functions as Bariloche's port for boat tours.

A typical log cabin in Bariloche.

Bariloche Airport.

Modern settlement

The modern settlement of Bariloche developed from a shop established by Carlos Wiederhold a Chilean immigrant that had settled in the area of Llanquihue in Chile. Carlos Weiderhold then crossed the Andes and established a little shop called "La Alemana" (The German) near the present city center after crossing the Andes from Chile.

A small settlement developed around the shop it was by 1895 primarily settled by Austrians, Germans, Slovenes, Chileans and Italians from the city of Belluno. It has been claimed that Bariloche got its name after the German-Chilean pioneer Carlos Wiederhold. In letters addressed to him, he was erroneously addressed as San Carlos instead of Don Carlos, which is why the city was called San Carlos de Bariloche. Most of the commerce in Bariloche went by the seaport of Puerto Montt in Chile. In 1896 Perito Moreno wrote that it took three days to reach Puerto Montt from Bariloche while traveling to Viedma in the Atlantic coast took "one month or more".

In the 1930s the centre of the city was built to have the appearance of an alpine town ("Little Switzerland") with many buildings made of wood and stone. In 1909 there were 1,250 inhabitants, telegraph, post office, and a road connecting the city with Neuquén. Commerce, however, continued to depend on Chile until the arrival of the railroad in 1934.

Between 1935 and 1940, the Directorate of National Parks carried out a number of urban public works, giving the city a distinctive architectural pattern; among them, perhaps the best-known is the Civic Center. Designed by Ernesto de Estrada, the tuff stone, slate and fitzroya structures include the Domingo Sarmiento Library, the Francisco Moreno Museum of Patagonia, a Museum, the City Hall, the Post Office, the Police Station and the Customs. Other works include a theatre, the Cathedral, and the renowned Llao Llao Hotel.

The current estimated population is of 130,000 (INDEC 2008).

Former nazis in Bariloche

Bariloche made headlines in the international press in 1995 when it became known as a haven for former Nazi war criminals like the former high ranking official of the SS 'Hauptsturmführer' Erich Priebke who had been living there for years.

Tourism

Tourism, both domestic and international, is the main economic activity of Bariloche, all year around. The main ski station is the one at Cerro Catedral. During the summer, beautiful beaches such as Playa Bonita and Villa Tacul welcome sun-bathers and some brave lake swimmers (the waters, from melting snow, are always very cold. Lake Nahuel Huapi averages 14 °C in the summertime). The fishing season is another great attraction. Bariloche is the biggest city of a huge Lakes District, and serves as a base for many excursions in the region. Trekking in the mountains, almost completely wild and uninhabited with the exception of a few high-mountain huts operated by Club Andino Bariloche, is also a popular activity. The city is also famous for its chocolates.

San Carlos de Bariloche city's Cathedral

Club Andino Bariloche

Llao Llao Hotel

Cerro Catedral sky resort in July

Civic centre

Science

Besides tourism and the many activities and services associated with it, Bariloche is home of advanced scientific and technological activities. The Centro Atómico Bariloche [1] is a research center of the Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, where basic and applied research in many areas of the physical sciences is carried out. One of its departments is the Instituto Balseiro [2], a higher education institution with a small and carefully selected number of students, that awards degrees in Physics, and in Nuclear and Mechanical Engineering, and Masters and Doctorate degrees in Physics and in Engineering. The city also hosts INVAP, a high technology company that designs and builds nuclear reactors and space satellites, among other projects. The private non profit organization Bariloche Foundation [3], reinforces the feature of scientific excellence of the city. Started in 1963, it promotes postgraduate teaching and research grounded on a solid humanistic culture, within the scope of democratic principles. Its main fields are Energy – through the Energy Economics Institute IDEE [4]; the Environment; Philosophy; and Quality of Life programs, through three institutional programs. In addition, there are also several departments and laboratories of the Comahue University.

Climate and geography

Bariloche has an inland temperate climate.

Transportation

The city is served by San Carlos de Bariloche International Airport (IATA BRC/ICAO SAZS) equipped to receive any kind of aircraft. Several of Argentina's most important airlines maintain regular flights to Bariloche, as well as some international lines from neighboring countries, especially during the ski season.

The city lies close to Chilean border and is connected to Chile by the Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass crossing the Andes Mountains.

See also

• Nahuel Huapi National Park
• Huemul Project
• Club Andino Bariloche
• Bariloche on Wikitravel

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: San Carlos de Bariloche

References

External links

• Bariloche Official Website (Spanish) (English)
• Weather for Bariloche by Yahoo!.

Coordinates: 41°09′S 71°18′W / 41.15°S 71.3°W / -41.15; -71.3