Your Travel Experience with Galapagos PRO
German settlers and the cultural heritage of the Lake District
On a tour of the Distrito de los Lagos Cultural Heritage Route, the first thing that catches the eye is a landscape in which untamed nature and human craftsmanship intertwine in a unique way: majestic mansions built of precious timber and clad in grey larch shingles stand against the imposing blue of Lake Llanquihue, under the ever-watchful gaze of the Osorno volcano. As you stroll through the immaculately tended gardens of Frutillar Bajo, the air is filled with a nostalgic scent of damp firewood, freshly roasted coffee and freshly baked murta cake. Inside these houses and Lutheran churches converted into museums, one sees antique grand pianos, heavy wrought-ironwork and pendulum clocks that seem to have been frozen in the 19th century, whilst along the waterfront promenades of Puerto Varas or Valdivia, the stroll comes to life as one spots the signs in Gothic script inviting visitors to sample a local craft beer or traditional crudos – proof that this journey is not merely a visual one, but a comprehensive sensory experience that combines the austerity of the Valdivian rainforest with the romance of the Old World.