"Branch that stops, branch that closes."
Villars
, 97 kilometers from the Capital,
It is one of the many towns in the province of Buenos Aires in which the train marked the golden years, but also its decline.
However, this town in the General Las Heras district seeks to appear on the map and become a stop for lovers of
rural tourism
.
Until the 1970s it was a
railway junction
that connected Rosario, the City of Buenos Aires and Carhué.
It was one of the axes of the old General Company of Buenos Aires and Midland Railroad.
It was also an important center of dairy production.
But in the 1990s, with the closure of the branch, most of its inhabitants decided to leave and the place was left with less than half the inhabitants it had had at its best.
today are around
1,300 and since last December, the train passed again.
Some of the railway facilities were left in ruins.
Photo Martina Ivanni.
Vestiges remain standing that recall a
glorious past
and attract the curious and those who decide to go for a walk escaping the big city for a while since due to its proximity, you can go and return in the day.
Workshops, gastronomy and shows
With the aim of promoting this destination, the University of Buenos Aires, CONICET and young entrepreneurs started the Villars Cultural
project
, which also has the support of the municipality.
This initiative seeks to merge science, art, gastronomy and different recreational activities in the tranquility of the rural town.
Within this framework, the
Villars Cultural Fair
will be inaugurated on
May 6
.
The event will have artisan stalls, stands of invited plastic artists, food trucks and live music.
Tranquility and natural environment in the streets of Villars.
Photo Martina Ivanni.
You can also
ride a horse
, attend
philosophy or ceramics
workshops , take an exploration tour of Estación Villars and ruins of railway workshops, participate in interviews with neighbors.
The idea is to replicate this same fair the first week of September.
But for the winter there will be another event: on July 9 they will organize a day of
hot chocolate
and churros with history talks.
What to see in Villars
Beyond this fair, Villars receives visitors every weekend.
The train station is its great must-see, opened in 1908 and
French in style
, unlike most stations that are of English origin.
Those who know the subject will also identify the French style in the layout of the narrow gauge.
Former house of a lineman.
Photo Martina Ivanni.
The building was recently reopened.
The Railway Museum
works there
, where materials and photos with more than a century of antiquity are kept.
It opens Saturdays and Sundays and is free.
In the surroundings you can also see an old water tank, a water loading tube for steam locomotives, a railway power plant, the old wagon turntable, ruins
of railway workshops
with their pits for repairs and old guardhouses.
Other attractions
In the
Rincón Criollo Traditionalist Center
, where plows, sulkys, old rural work carts and grocery store furniture such as old counters, cash registers, demijohns and kettles from the late 19th century, cans and bottles from the early 20th century are exhibited.
The old railway sheds can be visited.
Photo Martina Ivanni.
There is also a well with an overturning bucket for drinking fountains, pictures and paintings of the town and the surroundings, facones and implements, among other things.
Admission
is free
and it opens on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
To take walks and get into a natural environment, you have to visit
Mount Villars
, a half-hectare forest where native species are found.
When it's time to eat, those who come to Villars on weekends can try the local flavors at the
grill
that is right in front of the Plaza.
Another option is to make your own barbecues on the public grills (they are free and are next to the Station), or go to Plomer, located 10 km away, along the old Camino Real that dates from colonial times.
Miniguide
How to get
It is 97 km from CABA on Provincial Route 6, kilometer 126. Take Acceso Oeste, RN 7 to Luján, then RP 6.
Since December 2022
the train passed again
.
It is the Belgrano Sur Line.
It leaves from the Dr. Saez Station, in Pompeya, CABA and you have to make a connection in González Catán.
Collectives from Las Heras, Plomer and Marcos Paz also arrive.
Where to find out
Instagram: @villarscultural
look too
El Tentador, a country restaurant that recreates a general store
A trip to the past in 5 general stores in La Pampa