Victoria
Located 68 km from Angol and 67 km from Temuco, Victoria has an attractive geographical location in the Malleco area because of its excellent road access. From Victoria you can get to Curacautín and Lonquimay, cities noted for the natural beauty of their surroundings. Also, it is only an hour away from Angol and Temuco, with easy access to long-distance bus services.
The city is located in the Valle Central, and this is the fundamental characteristic of the area. The area is watered by the Malleco, Dumo, Traiguén, Tricauco, Quino, Quillén and Cautín rivers, all of which make a valuable contribution to the productive and recreational activities of the area.
Its climate is temperate with mediterranean influences and the area is therefore a transitional one where you will find hardy vegetation, such as old forests of Nothofagus obliqua (roble) and Laurelia sempervirens (laurel), while at the same time there is vegetation normally found in drier climes, pointing to the mediterranean nature of the sector.
Among the fauna you will find the European hare, the rabbit, the culpeo fox (canine), huillín, puma, wildcat, and pudú or deer, among others. There are also many beautiful birds, among them the tiuque, the pitío (woodpecker), the loica chilena and the common diuca.
Tourist Attractions in Victoria
The city has good lodgings for tourists and various campsites that you can visit in spring and summer. Among them are: El Descanso, Kangaroo Lodge, Río Quino and Queipul.
Moreover, you can visit the Casa de Máquinas de Ferrocarriles del Estado, the Museo Patricio Pantoja, the Casa Patronal Fundo Rucamilla, the cemetery, the Estación Quino, the forts of Victoria y Quino, and finally the Selva Oscura chapel.
History of Victoria
Traditionally its economy was based on the production of cereals. Today agricultural and livestock production remain an important part of the economy.
Victoria has its origins in a fort of the same name established at the beginning of April, 1881 with the title ‘La Victoria’ (an allusion to the success of the Lima campaign) by an expedition under the command of Coronel Gregorio Urrutia. Construction of this military fort began on the orders of its founder, Bernardo Muñoz Vargas.
Another important event in the history of the city was the construction of the railway from Renaico, starting in 1883. On October 26 1890 the first train arrived in Victoria, a fact which bears witness to the area’s great commercial activity.
This area also received a lot of German, Swiss and Spanish colonists. As a result, the municipality has an interesting historical and cultural heritage. The Swiss colonization had the greatest impact, as can be seen in the faces of the inhabitants of the city, the Swiss references in the street names, and the monument to Swiss colonization.
There is a strong tradition of education in Victoria, especially in the Escuela Normal, which acquired national prestige, and today houses the campus of the Universidad Arturo Prat.
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