Balvanera is a Buenos Aires barrio more commonly known by the three informal sub-districts of Abasto, Congreso and Once. It blends commerce and residential living with architectural wonders, tango history and the performing arts. Traditionally a working-class area, today Balvanera is where Jewish fabric traders are found alongside Peruvian restaurants and underground theaters.
Start your visit at the Renaissance-style Church of Nuestra Señora de Balvanera, which the neighborhood is named after. Join a guided tour of the neoclassical Palace of the Argentine National Congress (Congreso) building.
The striking Water Company Palace features a facade decorated with 300,000 terra-cotta tiles and the Museum of Water and Sanitary History. Head to Plaza Miserere to see the Mausoleum of Bernardino Rivadavia, the first president of Argentina.
Shoppers will delight in the array of brand name outlets, food court and cinema at Abasto Shopping. This huge mall occupies an art deco-style former fruit and vegetable market. Within the mall is the Museo de los Niños children’s museum. It has miniature versions of a dairy farm, hospital and supermarket, among other interactive zones.
Tango heritage comes to life around a group of streets that make up the Paseo del Tango. Spot statues of famed tango artists such as Carlos Gardel and Roberto Goyeneche. Browse artifacts about one of the world’s most prominent tango singers at the Carlos Gardel House Museum. Get acquainted with fileteado, a Buenos Aires decorative art characterized by colorful floral and spiral designs, on the Fileteado Walk.
Enjoy a culinary journey and evening of entertainment with a difference at Teatro Ciego. Upon entering the theater you’ll receive a blindfold, eat in the dark and be part of immersive shows performed by blind actors. Art, music and theater fans meet at Ciudad Cultural Konex for a year-round program of concerts and exhibitions in indoor and outdoor spaces.
Balvanera sits to the west of downtown Buenos Aires and south of Recoleta. Several public bus and metro lines stop on the main avenues of Cordoba, Corrientes, Pueyrredón and Rivadavia.
