Concepción del Uruguay travel guide

(Buses going to Paraná or Rosario del Tala will stop at El Cruce or Caseros, and from here, the palacios are 4 km and 8 km away, respectively (take a remise taxi from Caseros). Remise taxis charge about US$10 (with a 1½ hr wait included). Tour operators run combis (minibuses) only in high season for about US$6 including entrance (check companies at tourist office, since they change every year). A train service arrives on Sat from Villa Elisa. Basavilbaso has regular buses which link Concepción del Uruguay and Paraná or Rosario del Tala.)

Palacio San José (32 km west of the town, http://www.palaciosanjose.com.ar, Mon-Fri 0800-1900, Sat-Sun 0900-1800, US$1, information in Spanish, French and English, free guided visits at 1000, 1100, 1500, 1600) is the former mansion of General Urquiza, which dates from 1848, built in Italian style with 38 rooms and a chapel. It was once the country’s most luxurious residence. Now a museum with artefacts from Urquiza’s life, the palace stands in a beautiful park with an artificial lake. It can be reached by taking Route 39 west and turning right after Caseros train station. There is also a second palacio, Palacio Santa Candida (http://www.santacandida.com) which is another wonderfully old estancia that can be visited.

Basavilbaso, 68 km west, is a historical small town which in the early 20th century was an urban centre for Lucienville, inhabited by Jewish immigrants from Russia. There’s a tourist office (Lagocen e Hipólito Yrigoyen, T03445-481015) and information is available at Asociación Israelita (T03445-481908) . There are three well-preserved synagogues, of which the Tefila L Moises has a beautifully painted wooden ceiling. It’s also worth visiting the Navibuco synagogue, 2.5 km out of town, dating from 1895, and two Jewish cemeteries nearby. Basavilbaso was a busy transport hub and though the last passenger train left in 1992, the station now houses a museum where the rich history of the local railway can be explored.