When treasure hunters searched for the fabled lost city of gold, El Dorado, they couldn’t believe their eyes when they stumbled upon something even more bizarre.

Uncover the secrets of a hidden German town with a mysterious past and breathtakingly beautiful architecture. Take a journey back in time and discover the rich history and cultural treasures of this ethnic German enclave. 

Colonia Tovar is a small, mysterious town located in the South American country of Venezuela, nestled in the mountains at an altitude of about 2,200 meters (7,200 feet) above sea level. This hidden town remained isolated from the rest of the world for a long time and even had their own laws and principles they followed.

The thing that makes this town so remarkable is that a small group of people built the town and made an exact copy of a part of Germany in Venezuela. It’s almost scary how much the town looks like Germany. They even imported their customs, language, architecture and cuisine.

But let’s rewind the time a little bit. Because how did this mysterious German town get there in the first place? And who built it? It all started in the aftermath of Venezuela’s war of independence (1810-1823).

The Venezuelan government had to cultivate its empty tracts of arable land and experienced a shortage of manpower. That’s why they had to attract European settlers to make up for the demographic loss. 

To colonize its hinterland, the governor of Barinas province had the task of luring German immigrants to settle in the nascent country. This took place in the 1840’s.

The town was chosen due to its mountainous location and high elevations, which reminded the settlers of their homeland in the Grand Duchy of Baden. Day temperatures were often around 15 degrees, just like in their home country.