Timber houses
Dark frames.
NoonIcarus — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rjcastillo — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ricardoricardo618 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Enzo861 — CC BY-SA 3.0
Colonia Tovar is a mountain town in Venezuela that looks like a village from southern Germany. White houses with dark timber frames and steep red roofs stand among flower gardens, winding roads climb green hills, and cool air drifts through the cloud. It was founded on 8 April 1843 by about 390 immigrants from the Grand Duchy of Baden, from the Kaiserstuhl area of today's Germany, on a site chosen to resemble their homeland in climate and landscape. It still carries the stamp of its origins and is called «the Germany of the Caribbean». Its people live from farming and tourism, and it is known for strawberries, peaches and vegetables that need a mild climate. You walk the streets between the timber-framed houses, buy fruit, jams and sweets from the stalls, and take in the green mountains from the road up. The town is about 42 km in a straight line west of Caracas, about 65 km by the winding mountain road. It fills with visitors at weekends, so go on a weekday if you can, and bring warm clothes. The UK advises against all but essential travel to Venezuela, so check current advice before you go.
Dark frames.
And jams.
Green hills.
Tovar municipality, Aragua State
On a weekday; weekends are crowded.
Yes, much cooler than Caracas; bring warm clothes.