How a complete German Village ended up hidden in the Amazon rainforest

When treasure hunters searched for the fabled lost city of gold, El Dorado, they couldn’t believe their eyes when they stumbled upon something even more bizarre.

Uncover the secrets of a hidden German town with a mysterious past and breathtakingly beautiful architecture. Take a journey back in time and discover the rich history and cultural treasures of this ethnic German enclave. 

Colonia Tovar is a small, mysterious town located in the South American country of Venezuela, nestled in the mountains at an altitude of about 2,200 meters (7,200 feet) above sea level. This hidden town remained isolated from the rest of the world for a long time and even had their own laws and principles they followed.

The thing that makes this town so remarkable is that a small group of people built the town and made an exact copy of a part of Germany in Venezuela. It’s almost scary how much the town looks like Germany. They even imported their customs, language, architecture and cuisine.

But let’s rewind the time a little bit. Because how did this mysterious German town get there in the first place? And who built it? It all started in the aftermath of Venezuela’s war of independence (1810-1823).

The Venezuelan government had to cultivate its empty tracts of arable land and experienced a shortage of manpower. That’s why they had to attract European settlers to make up for the demographic loss. 

To colonize its hinterland, the governor of Barinas province had the task of luring German immigrants to settle in the nascent country. This took place in the 1840’s.

The town was chosen due to its mountainous location and high elevations, which reminded the settlers of their homeland in the Grand Duchy of Baden. Day temperatures were often around 15 degrees, just like in their home country. 

Then in 1843, a group of German settlers embarked on a perilous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. After several challenges like a smallpox epidemic, they eventually arrived in South America, where they established their new home.

However, the German migrants still had a deep connection with their home country so they decided to create a replica of their home cities so they had a home away from home. It featured German-style architecture with Tudor houses everywhere. They named the town after Martín Tovar y Ponte, the local member of the government who donated the land.

Colonia Tovar became an ethnic enclave for almost a century as locals intermarried to preserve their heritage. After more than 100 years, in 1940, the town first started adopting the Spanish language and welcomed visitors from around the country.

Colonia Tovar finally opened up to the outside world.  

After a while, the town became a popular destination for tourists, with many visitors coming to see a glimpse of Germany in Venezuela’s highland. Nowadays, the whole town seems to be built to attract tourists. There are plenty of guesthouses, souvenir shops and restaurants.

The restaurants even offer typical German foods like schnitzel, sauerkraut, German beers, apple-strudel and much more. If you didn’t know better, you would think you were in Germany instead of Venezuela. 

The church of San Martin de Tours is a white-and-black church located in Colonia Tovar. It towers over Plaza Bolivar, the main square of the town, and is one of the many well-preserved historic buildings in Colonia Tovar, which is often referred to as the ‘Germany of the Amazon.

Despite its small size and remote location, Colonia Tovar has a thriving community of locals who are proud of their town and its rich history. The town is known for its warm, welcoming atmosphere and its tight-knit community, where neighbors often come together to celebrate festivals and events.

One of the most popular events in Colonia Tovar is the annual Oktoberfest, which is quite similar to the one in München.

During the festival, visitors can enjoy a variety of typical German activities, eat typical German food and drink a lot of German beers. 

The Oktoberfest Festival is just one of many events that take place in Colonia Tovar throughout the year. Another popular thing is the yearly carnival celebrations with traditional Alpine Folk music and brightly colored harlequin costumes.

This involves dancing, parades, bullfights, pageants, and other activities. To participate in the festivities, wannabe harlequins must be residents of Colonia Tovar for several years, care for their costumes, and learn about the history of the community. 

So there it is. Now you know more about this mysterious (not so hidden anymore) town in the mountains of Venezuela, aka ‘Germany of the Amazon. There is always something going on in this vibrant and lively town and the rich history is quite impressive. Definitely worth a visit if you’d ask us! 

Sources: Explanders, Dailysabah |  Pictures: Pascual De Ruvo/ Wikimedia Commons, Flickr/ María Luisa Ríos Lares, AP Photo, iStock, Getty Images, iStock/ urf, Rjcastillo/ Wikimedia Commons, Saray Reveron/ Wikimedia Commons, Enzo 861/ Wikimedia Commons,  Rjcastillo/ Wikimedia Commons

Source: https://www.tips-and-tricks.co/various/coloniatovar/