Buenos Aires has many Art Nouveau buildings open to the public with guided tours and many of them enclose secret gardens where you can have a coffee and enjoy their beauty. But did you know that Argentina has an Art Nouveau city and it is not Buenos Aires? Concordia, in Entre Rios is the city with Art Nouveau buildings and these are some of the 15 buildings that are part of the Art Nouveau route in this city just 4 hours from Buenos Aires.
The first Art Nouveau city in America: The 5 best buildings to do the art nouveau route near Buenos Aires.
In the middle of a forest and lots of nature in this Art Nouveau city you will find the San Carlos castle. This castle was built in 1888 and has a historical link with Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The author of the Little Prince visited this castle in 1929 and was inspired for some of his works. It is not an Art Nouveau landmark, but it has to be included in your tour of this city.
The next Art Nouveau building on your route has to be the Arruabarrena Palace. It was built in 1919 and is one of the most emblematic architectural jewels of the Art Nouveau city of Concordia.
The Arruabarrena Palace is eclectic in style with stained glass windows, ornamental grilles and wrought iron details that faithfully reflect the art nouveau style and currently serves as a museum.
If you are familiar with the Nunciature building in Buenos Aires (and the challenging garden it hides), the Pastoral House will not surprise you. Its details also evoke the style of the Viennese Secession. Its interior preserves original decorations, stained glass windows and woodwork that transport you to Europe at the beginning of the last century.
Another must-see building is Villa Yolanda: iron balconies and a garden make it one of the most photogenic spots in this Art Nouveau city, the first in America.
And you cannot leave this Art Nouveau city a few hours from Buenos Aires without visiting two buildings of this style: on the one hand, the Justo José de Urquiza National School. Its facade has ornamental elements typical of Art Nouveau, such as curved moldings and artistic carpentry. And finally, the Hotel Colón. It has a facade of undulating lines characteristic of the Art Nouveau style. It witnessed the tourist splendor of the city in the early twentieth century and today is part of the cultural circuits that invite you to rediscover the past.
A tour of a city dedicated to Art Nouveau near Buenos Aires: How to get to Concordia
Concordia is approximately 430 km from Buenos Aires and is accessible by different means of transport. By car, the trip takes between 4 and 5 hours along National Route 14.
You can also opt for bus services that leave from the Retiro terminal and reach the city in approximately 6 hours. For those who prefer to fly, Concordia airport receives flights from different parts of the country. Once in the city, it is easy to get around by cab, bus or public transportation.