OVERVIEW
Bariloche is well known as a posh ski resort in the Argentinian Andes. But the town has a lot more to offer than just ski slopes. There is a great National Park nearby, and there are many hiking, biking, rafting and other outdoor activities waiting for you.
Every season in Bariloche has its own special charm. Winter brings the excitement of skiing and the graduate trips that arrive in May or June. Fishing tackle in November, long, hot days in summer and crowded chocolate shops at Easter are typical of the changing seasons.
Bariloche's tourist area is located near the Centro Cívico, with the main shopping and business area centered on Mitre street, and to a lesser extent, Moreno and intersecting streets.
There are chocolate factories, shops selling smoked food and knitted garments, restaurants and fast food outlets, tourist agencies, shows, and everything else that a first-class tourist resort can offer.
Parapointing is available from the top of the ski resort during the summer months. Jumping off a mountain on a parachute is quite a thrill. Horseback riding and extensive trails are also available in the area.
SIGHTS
The 'Centro Cívico'
Inaugurated on March 17, 1940, this was Argentina's first civic center. Designed by architect E. de Estrada, it was built from 'ciprés' and 'alerce' wood and stone quarried from Carbón mountain. A monument to Julio A. Roca stands in the center of the square. The Centro Cívico was declared a National Monument in 1987. The square is surrounded by buildings hosting the Police Station, the ex-post office and ex-customs offices (now an exhibition salon), the Offices of the Municipal Secretariat of Tourism, the Town Hall, Museum and Sarmiento Library. There is a large clock in the Town Hall tower. When it strikes 12 noon and 6 p.m., 4 figures that represent the area appear: an Indian, a missionary, a 'conquistador' and a laborer.
Bariloche Cathedral
Built in 1946, under the name Nuestra Seńora del Nahuel Huapi -Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi- it belongs to the National Parks Administration and has been declared a National Historical Monument. The Bariloche diocese was created in 1993. Its bishop is Monseńor Rubén Frassia. Every Christmas a concert is given at the cathedral by the 'Coro de Nińos y Jóvenes Cantores de Bariloche' -Bariloche Children and Young People's Choir- together with other choirs and local musicians.
Patagonia Museum 'Francisco P. Moreno'
Inaugurated by Parques Nacionales in 1940, the museum is located at the east end of the Centro Cívico. It was named after Francisco P. Moreno, who explored the Andes and Patagonian rivers, and donated to the government the lands which were to become Argentina's first National Park (see information on Nahuel Huapi National Park). The museum's first director was Enrique Artayeta. Parques Nacionales acquired the museum's first anthropological and historical collection, which has since increased along with the findings of researchers. There are various sections, including natural history, prehistory, ethnography and regional history. There is also a Temporary Exhibition room, a public library containing some 3000 books, a Design and Research Department, a collection storeroom and a theater. The museum is administrated by the National Parks superintendence and supported by Asociación Amigos del Museo -Friends of the Museum Association- which has existed since 1985.
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