Former Railway Station

About this place

Encarnación's Former Railway Station is a long brick building with a colonnaded front, recalling the days when the city was the end of the line from Asunción. It is a historic monument and part of the national heritage, and it now stands among green spaces near the modern waterfront. It was built in the early 20th century, with some sources giving 1913, for the Carlos Antonio López railway. When the Yacyretá agency raised the level of the dam's reservoir and rebuilt the waterfront, the original station was demolished in 2009. Part of its materials was kept and used to build a replica outside the railway area, intended as a cultural centre. You see the long front with its roof and slim iron columns, the arcade where travellers once waited, and a sign with the city's name giving distances of 370 km to Asunción and 1,154 km to Buenos Aires. Wide lawns and an old steam locomotive stand around it. Older pictures show wood-burning engines that once stopped here. It is 3 km in a straight line from the Cathedral of the Incarnation. It needs little time, so combine it with a walk on the waterfront, and do not wait for trains, as this is not a working site. Cultural centre events may change, so ask about exhibitions. Bring water and a hat, as the area is exposed and summers are very hot.