Villa General Belgrano, some 50 km south of Alta Gracia in the Valle de Calamuchita, is a veritable chocolate-box mountain town where you could mistakenly think you’re in Switzerland or Germany rather than the province of Cordoba in northern Argentina. Along the main street Avenida Julio Roca is a mishmash of beerkellers, chocolate sellers and souvenir shops, many in attractive Swiss-style chalets. Villa General Belgrano was founded by German immigrants back in 1932. Soon after an influx of Swiss, Austrian and more German settlers arrived. And in 1940 many of the survivors from the battleship the Graf Spee, which was scuttled off the coast of Uruguay, later settled in the town. Hence there’s still a lot of German spoken particularly by the elder inhabitants.

Also in true German style, there’s the Oktoberfest, a smaller-scale Munich beer festival, when the town really starts to party. Other festivals include the Fiesta de La Vienesa, a pastry-making extravaganza, staged during Easter while the Fiesta del Chocolate Alpino, a chocolate bonanza, takes place during the winter holidays in July. Besides the plethora of restaurants, cafes, beer houses and hotels as well as a couple of museums - the Museo del Carruaje and the Museo Ovni - the town is also popular for the surrounding mountain scenery which includes the stunning Sierras Grandes. There are great vies from the Cerro de la Virgin, just an hour’s hike from town. For more information, go to www.elsitiodelavilla.com.