South America : Patagonian Musuem
[south-america I didn’t originally consider this site a must-see of Bariloche but as it was conviently located in the Civic Centre and I had some time to spare so I thought :
Why not?
The musuem is located inside one of the germanic-looking wooden buildings of the town centre. Its a rather humble collection of stuffed-wildlife and native artifacts gathered from the vast expanse of Patagonia and is spread over 2 floors.
Natural History
The first floor covers the climatic zones that make up Patagonia and the flora & fauna that populate them.
The tundra
The harsh arid climate of the Patagonian tundra-like region which covers most of the region is one which I only encountered briefly as my sights of interest were closer to the Andes mountains which created a narrow climatic zone in which trees grow taller than the bushes of the tundra.
The coast
Human history
This region was formerly the home of several native american tribes. Many of these tribes survived the original Spanish conquistdors of the 16th century only to fall vicitim to the policies of the Argentine state in the 19th century.
Most of the tribes subsisted off the land depending on which region, either by hunting seals & whales by the coast or animals in the interior.
A great many tribal relics are included in the collection and although the main text is in Spanish , an English transcript is usually kept attached to it (usually a somewhat tattered A4 printout attached to the case by a string).
A great many artefacts from the Spanish & Argentine expansion into this region are also on display along with many historical accounts from the period.
Conclusion
All in all this simple musuem may not be a major sight of Bariloche though if you have time to kill and wish to learn a bit more about Patagonia then this centrally located venue might be of interest.