Fancy a long-distance trip that doesn’t feel so far away? The year 2026 offers plenty of scope for clever holiday planning that also allows for longer trips – if we keep an eye on the political situation. Because there is a very special place in Venezuela. Many regions around the world have adopted German traditions: Christmas markets are celebrated with mulled wine,Oktoberfest also takes place in southern Europe, and Munich beer is an export hit. German culture has spread as far as South America, or more precisely, it has even established itself there : in Colonia Tovar, the “Germany of Venezuela.” Around 8,550 kilometers away, German is traditionally spoken, German food is cooked, and German celebrations are held!
Half-timbered houses, beer, and pretzels under palm trees
Photo: Shutterstock
The history of Colonia Tovar begins in 1843. Around 400 settlers, most of them from Kaiserstuhl in Baden, sought their fortune far away. They brought not only their belongings with them, but their entire culture: Black Forest half-timbered houses, Bavarian traditional costumes, and the art of beer brewing.
However, the settlement did not come about simply because the Germans wanted it to. It was organized as part of a state-sponsored agricultural colonization project in Venezuela, which was intended to promote European immigration and agricultural development.
Since the village was almost completely cut off from the outside world for over a century, time simply stood still there for a long time. As a result, some features of the language from the 19th century have been preserved to this day. However, with the expansion of modern transport routes and the increase in tourism, this isolation quickly changed.
The Oktoberfest, almost 9,000 kilometers away
Photo: Shutterstock
Today, Colonia Tovar has around 21,000 inhabitants. It is still a small, village-like settlement with a distinctive alpine landscape. Particularly interesting: the houses are built in the classic southern German half-timbered style, complete with pointed roofs and flower boxes full of geraniums. It’s almost as if someone took a village from the Alps and transported it by helicopter to the vicinity of the Venezuelan capital Caracas.
Colonia Tovar even has its own dialect, Alemán coloniero, which historically originated in Baden. The old German has changed through contact with Venezuelan Spanish, and hybrid forms have found their way into the vocabulary . Today, Spanish dominates everyday life. Nevertheless, Colonia Tovar is one of the most famous places in Latin America where a German-speaking enclave has been historically preserved.
Particularly well-known are the Oktoberfest-style events, which have been held for over 45 years. Other local festivals are also celebrated annually. Typical of Colonia Tovar are sausage products, “German” baked goods, beer from local breweries, and regional products from the surrounding area. In Colonia Tovar, the Caribbean way of life and German thoroughness merge into a symbiosis that is unique in the world.