Villa Epecuén

- 37.131514 - 62.810125Koordinaten: 37 ° 8 ' S, 62 ° 49 ' W

Villa Epecuen was an Argentine tourist town on Lake Epecuen about 600 kilometers southwest of Buenos Aires in the province of Buenos Aires.

History

Villa Epecuen was officially founded on 23 January 1921. The base of the economic development of the small town was the nearby Lago Epecuen, a lake whose water had the second highest salt content after the Dead Sea. First, the salt should be collected and made ​​available as a product. In parallel, however, the therapeutic effect of water got around and soon flourished Villa Epecuen on tourism. With the health tourism came Hotels, restaurants and leisure facilities. At times, came to about two thousand inhabitants five thousand guests and the city received a direct rail connection to Buenos Aires.

Downfall

1985 ensured unusually heavy rainfall over weeks to a steady rise in the water level in the lake, which had only a small, poorly maintained drainage. On November 10, 1985, broke the Lehmdämme at Villa Epecuen in several places and the water poured into the city. Within hours, the city sank beneath the waves and had to be abandoned. A reconstruction seemed impossible and so sank Villa Epecuen for 25 years in the lake.

Villa Epecuen today

Since 2009, the water runs through regional lack of rain back and are the remains of the city freely. It shows itself devastated, but at the same time as a snapshot of the day of their destruction. Roads, wrecked vehicles, furniture, toys and billboards remained salzverkrustet receive and offer an unreal sight. Remains of trees seem to stand on their exposed roots and the suburbs has the ruins of the former butcher a popular photo.