Torres del Paine National Park

Osorno, Chile, Tourist Attractions

              Osorno is an important city of Southern Chile, capital of the homonymous province in the Region of Los Lagos, being one of the oldest in the country, its foundation dates back to 1558. The population is around 165,000 and the location is 932 km. South of Santiago, the Chilean capital, through Ruta 5 (ex Pan-American Highway). Other important nearby cities are Puerto Montt, 110 km. to the South, Valdivia, 110 km. to the North and the Argentine tourist city of Bariloche, 232 km. to the E.

From the first decades of the nineteenth century, immigrants from different nationalities began to settle in Osorno, who until today have contributed and exerted influence in all areas, Syrian Arab Republic, France, Spain, Austro-Hungarians and other countries strongly contributed to this immigration wave. In 1845, the enactment of the Selective Immigration Law, allowed the organized arrival of a large number of German settlers, which quickly became the largest colony. Until today, the influence of the German community can be found throughout the region.


 

How to Get There

Ruta 5 Sur (former Carretera Panamericana), is the main access road to the city, for those traveling either from Northern or Southern Chile. Those who travel from the neighboring Argentine city of San Carlos de Bariloche have to take Ruta Nacional 231, entering Chilean territory through Cardenal Samore Border Pass. The access to Osorno is through Ruta 215.
Cañal Bajo Carlos Hott Siebert Airport is located 7 km. Southeast of the city. There are regular flights to and from the city of Santiago, with LATAM and Sky Airline.

Places to visit in Osorno and Surroundings

Osorno, like almost all of southern Chile, is a tourist city par excellence. There are also countless wonderful landscapes, tours and activities that can be done in its surroundings. Here are some of the must-see while here.

Catedral de San Mateo

Osorno's Cathedral
Image: la Ruta RallyMobil - EMOL

   The Catedral de San Mateo (Saint Matthew's Cathedral), one of the iconic places of the city is located on the perimeter of the main square or Plaza de Armas. Because of its structure, a Gothic style construction, it is considered an architectural jewel, it is a work of the Chilean architect Leon Prieto Casanova.

The original church was built in 1577, since then, it has been rebuilt several times. Due to the damage caused by the 1960 earthquake, the largest in history since records began, it had to be completely demolished. The construction of the new Church lasted 20 years (1962-1982).

 

Parque Cuarto Centenario

Cuarto Centenario Park, located on the banks of the Damas River, 3 blocks from the main square, is an area of beautiful vegetation, ideal for sports, entertainment for children and rest. The Park was created in 1958, for the fourth centenary of the city's foundation, but its remodeling was completed by the end of 2016 with the addition of new native trees, playgrounds, restrooms, parking lots, basketball and tennis courts, a fountain and more than a thousand LED lights.
 

Museo Interactivo de Osorno  

   Address: 555 Variante Mackenna. Located in the old train station, today remodeled to fulfill this new function, is the first Interactive Museum of Science and Technology of Southern Chile. Its aim is to promote the cultural development by offering an alternative of permanent, attractive and entertaining education for the entire population, children and adults. It is also expected to turn the museum into a tourist attraction in Osorno, both regionally and at a national level.
 

Museo Historico Municipal de Osorno

The Municipal Museum of Osorno is located at 809 Manuel Antonio Matta St. Since its creation in 1946, it worked in several other places until it was moved to its current location in 1964. The Neoclassical architecture building was built in 1929 as the residence of the Schilling Buschmann family. Its main collections highlight archaeological and paleontological discoveries, a wide range of objects belonging to the Huilliche and Mapuche ethnic groups, objects pertaining to the period of the German colonization in Chile and a room with stuffed animals typical of Southern Chile.

 

Museo Pleistocenico de Osorno  

 Image: Javier Cardenas on YouTube
  Pleistocene Museum of Osorno, inaugurated in September 2017, address: Chuyaca Park, access to the city. Dependent on the municipality of Osorno, this museum has dioramas, replicas, interactive modules and fossils resulting from the paleo-archaeological research of the Pilauco Bajo site. 

Museo de Autos Moncopulli

Studebaker-Moncopulli Car Museum is an exhibition gallery of classic and antique cars created in 1995 as a non-profit family business, to house the first 22 cars and display them to the public. The exhibition reflects the passion of its founder, Mr. Bernardo Eggers for the American cars of the fifties. Dedicated especially to the American automobile brand Studebaker, although it does not rule out other brands. Today the Museum has more than 100 cars, of which, more than 70 are Studebaker, countless photo cameras, a photo studio, toy room and a machinery and antiques yard. Address: Km. 25 Ruta Internacional Puyehue.

Fuerte Reina Luisa

  Reconstruction of an old Fort, located on the banks of the Rahue River, named in honor of María Luisa de Borbon, the wife of Carlos IV, King of Spain. The original construction dates back to 1793-1794, which was destroyed by a major earthquake in 1835. The current reconstruction began in 1955 and was completed in 1977 but due to the lack of original plans, it does not have the shape of the first fortress, except for the base of the wall that overlooks the Rahue River. In 2007, a second reconstruction began, to improve the fort as a tourist site.

The new rebuilding also considered the creation of an Exhibition Hall, the Sala de Exposiciones Fuerte Reina Luisa, that currently allows activities related to the history of the city, as well as the development of temporary exhibitions, lectures, seminars and other cultural events with a capacity for 120 people.


More places to visit near Osorno

Antillanca Mountain Resort
Puyehue Hot Springs

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