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Corridor Littoral > Oberá > Tours and Activities

Park of the Nations

Marcelo Sola

We left the capital of Misiones and, a couple of minutes later, we were crossing National Route 14 heading for Oberá. As we got along the road, the colors became more and more intense. Maybe it was some kind of hallucination, but the truth was that the humid red hue of the soil and the green of the rainforest on the hills seemed to glow even more.

The road is in such good condition and so well sign-posted that we could speed up to the limit. After one hour and a half, we were entering the city.

As the night was falling, we resolved to see the village the following morning. We stayed at Cabañas del Parque. No sooner had we entered the bungalow than we knew we were going to rest like kings. Even though the decoration of the hotel is quite simple, the politeness of the staff and the simplicity of the spaces, the detail of having an ideal temperature –thanks to a powerful air-conditioning system- in addition to the tempting minibar full of soft drinks, alfajores and chocolate turn this into the best site to stay at Oberá.

The swirling bed sheets at first and the hot shower later made us leave the hotel later than expected. Breakfast at Cabañas del Parque deserves a special mention. A hearty bite with fresh fruit, juice, homemade jam and dark delicious coffee was enough to provide all the necessary energy to go out and enjoy the benefits of Oberá.

We took Ucrania Street, turned right and 500 meters ahead, we came to the famous Park of Nations, where year after year, the communities that make up a great part of Oberá’s society gather to celebrate the National Immigrants Festival during the first fortnight of September.

Like in few places in Argentina, immigrants of the most varied origins and ethnicities have converged at Oberá. This diversity has brought along an extraordinary cultural enrichment and a model of co-existence.

The typical houses of these communities stand at this 10-hectare venue. The Communities Federation and the Municipal Historical and Natural Science Museum also have their seats here. Though the works in the park are not finished yet, it is a live monument in constant mutation and progress where tribute is paid to the immigrants that gave shape to Oberá, a symbol of a community that cries in unison “here diversity unites us”.

As we toured around the facilities, we realized that this place is established in the popular imaginary of Oberá as a site for encounters. Both grown-ups and children get together to play football, go for a walk or just have a chat under some shady tree as they taste some delicious tereré.

The architecture of each of the Federation houses, made up by German, Arabian, Brazilian, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Nordic (Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish), Paraguayan, Polish, Russian, Swiss and Ukrainian, along with the Argentinian hosts is to be highlighted. Each of them has a detail that makes them particular and unique.

We entered the Municipal Historical and Natural Science Museum to see the objects on display. We were welcomed by Celma Tabarez, who is in charge of the institution and passionately in love with her job. She told us about this site and showed us around.

The museum has three rooms. The one devoted to the Roots of Misiones contains various photographs, rocks and handicrafts made of whicker by the first settlers of the area –the guaraníes.

Another room features the typical costumes worn by the immigrants and reveals significant historical facts such as the Massacre of Oberá -an agricultural protest that took place in 1936- or the unusual snowfall that took place in August 1965. Besides, other elements that give evidence of the continuous progress of the community are exhibited.

Last but not least, we entered the Natural Science room, where we learned about the many local bird species through stuffed specimens including a yacare caiman, a colorful parrot and a long pitviper which if looked at fixedly, could cause some fear.

Once the tour was over, we thanked Celma and left the museum towards some corner of the park. A tasty aroma enticed our senses and we followed it to the Nordic House, where rüllader -a kind of rolled steak filled with bacon, potatoes and a garnish- was being cooked. We decided to make a mandatory stop and enjoy the attractive regional dish that was served by a nice Swedish woman.

After lunch, we returned to Cabañas del Parque to take a nap and help digestion so that we could try the tempting swimming-pool at the hotel. We were invaded by quietness and had some sleep until the afternoon.