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Rosario, Parana River and History in ArgentinaApril 23, 2009
Rosario is an important city of Argentina, located in Santa Fe province, at the shores of the large Parana river. Because of its privileged geographic location, it becomes a relevant comercial and services center, and also counts with interesting museums, beautiful parks and libraries and a excellent tourism infraestructure, with boulevards, beaches, gastronomy, hotels and architecture.
At Rosario you will find many entertainments and time to discover all of them, because this city mixes the calm of a relaxed town with commerce and attractions. You have to take your time to walk through the city, admiring its streets and historical buildings, such as Peatonal Cordoba street, where you can find important stores, coffee shops and restaurants, or Plaza del Che, a memorial to the famous Ernesto Che Guevara, where its face is painted in one of the walls surrounding the square. Another interesting construction is Monumento a la Bandera, a place where the national flag is tributed and where are also other museums such as Natural History Museum, Municipal Museum of Arts, Playa 25 de Mayo (25 de Mayo Square), the natal house of Che Guevara and Juramento Pasaje, where you can find beautiful sculptures of argentinean artists.
Rosario is also famous for its Estación Fluvial (Fluvial Station), a pier where many boats navigate to the islands in Parana River and every weekend sails the Ciudad de Rosario boat, a tourism ship which navigates through the islands and the river of Parana, where is Parque Nacional a la Bandera (Flag National Park). Every year in the pier is celebrated the Encounter and National Fest of Communities, which are cultural samples of the traditions of inmigrants, such as typical food, objects and folk dances.
At the islands in Parana river, there are excellent beaches with clear sand, beautiful landscape and where you can practice sports, take a ride in boat or enjoy the delicious gastronomy at the shores of the waters. Some of the most recognized beaches are Casablanca, Puerto Pirata, Vladimir and Isla Verde, all surrounded by exuberant vegetation and willows. Another good beaches are La Florida, with view to Rosario-Victoria bridge, the municipal camping area and Rambla Cataluña I and II.
Rosario has many places to visit such as artisan faires, many parks such as Parque Independencia, with its famous fountain Fuente de las Aguas Danzantes, Parque Alem, which has an aquarium, Parque Urquiza, where there are historical gullies next to Parana river and Parque España, which has a Cultural Building, where you can see works of contemporanean art.
Other attraction of Rosario is its monumental bridge, the Rosario-Victoria bridge, of 60 kilometers of length, which joins the provinces of Santa Fe and Rosario, which helped to improve the industry and commerce, and also increasing the tourism to the northeast zone of the country, where there are thermal waters and joyful carnivals.
In Rosario you must visit the place where the history of the city started. The Basilica Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Rosario (Cathedral of Rosario), a huge church which mixes different architectonic styles such as gothic and french style at its entrance. Inside you can find interesting sculptures, such as the sculpture of The Fourth Evangelists, a wonderful stained-glass window and an underground, where is the Camarin de la Virgen, a hall with capacity for more than 100 persons. Important architects such as Shwards and Arnaldi participated in the remodeling of the cathedral.
Besides of its charms, Rosario has excellent restaurants to taste typical argentinean plates and the best hotels and lodgings for resting, after a day in this lovely city, a mixture of culture, tradition, modernity and natural beauty.
By Mariel Lizana, journalist
