La Cumbrecita
Encyclopedia
La Cumbrecita is a small picturesque secluded alpine-like hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...

 amongst spruce and pine at 1450 meters above sea level where is not unusual to see a blanket of snow in winter time in the Province of Córdoba
Córdoba Province (Argentina)
Córdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are : Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca...

, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

. It is situated in the Calamuchita Valley in the Grand Sierras of Córdoba. A 30 km pebbled
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...

 road, up through scenic views of the Sierra Grandes
Sierra de Córdoba
The Sierras de Córdoba is a mountain range in central Argentina, located between the Pampas to the east and south, the Chaco to the north and the foothills of the Andes to the west...

 will take you to La Cumbrecita. This small town is around 40 km (depending on the route you take) to the west of Villa General Belgrano and 118 km from the city of Córdoba. Excursions to La Cumbrecita can be taken from nearby Villa General Belgrano
Villa General Belgrano
Villa General Belgrano, a small mountain village of 6,260 inhabitants is named after the creator of the Argentine flag Manuel Belgrano and located in a lush green valley of Calamuchita in the hills in the Province of Córdoba in central Argentina.-History:...

, if you don't have your own transportation.

The Medio river borders La Cumbrecita and is the edge of Santa María County. The INDEC 2001 census counted 189 inhabitants in La Cumbrecita and 156 in Calamuchita, totaling 345 inhabitants. 140 houses are nestled among the trees (97 and 43 in each county).

Administratively, the town is organized as a commune. Founded in 1933, when the Kabjoski family bought 500 hectares and brothers Enrique and Federico Behrend started their pioneer work. There were no roads, everything had to be brought in by donkey. Federico planted the pine trees that transformed the countryside into an Alpine environment. Enrique constructed the first houses and made the road to Los Reartes. Tourism started in earnest in 1937 with the first visitors making their way to the hidden town. Around 1940, the first private homes were built and the town slowly acquired the Tirolés
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...

 character that defines it today.

Populated by central European immigrants, the town is focused on eco-tourism. It is completely pedestrian and reminiscent of the small German towns of the fifteenth century. You can hike up through the town (and then down) to the waterfall, a truly paradisiacal experience.

Teahouses specialize in Apfelstrudel
Apfelstrudel
Apple strudel is a traditional Viennese strudel, a popular pastry in Austria and in many countries in Europe that once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian empire .-History:...

and Chocolate cake. Alpine-style hotels, lodgings and cabins are available, and with permission you may camp anywhere. The Mineral Museum has a large gem and mineral collection from all over the world.

The communal authorities declared the zone a protected environment and as of 1996 a "Pedestrian Town". Visitors must park their cars in the parking lot before the town entrance and then walk along the stone-paved streets.

External links

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